Intensional (Adjective)
Meaning
Used of the set of attributes that distinguish the referents of a given word.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The intensional meaning of the word "bachelor" includes the attributes of being unmarried and male.
- The intensional definition of a word is often contrasted with its extensional definition, which refers to the set of things to which the word applies.
- In linguistics, the intensional meaning of a word is often studied in order to understand how words convey meaning.
- The intensional attributes of a word can be thought of as the necessary and sufficient conditions for something to be referred to by that word.
- The intensional meaning of a word can be used to explain why certain words are synonymous or antonymous with one another.