Is 'With the Intention of' Formal?

"With the intention of" is a somewhat formal compound preposition that can be used to express purpose.

"With the intention of" is a somewhat formal compound preposition that can be used to express purpose.

We trained our staff in cybersecurity best practices with the intention of protecting the company against cyberattacks.

You can use "with the intention of" in formal and semiformal contexts. In everyday English or casual situations, by contrast, we commonly use the structure to + infinitive or for + noun to talk about purpose.

We trained our staff in cybersecurity best practices to protect the company against cyberattacks.

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To be more concise or sound more natural, use "to + infinitive" or "for + noun" when expressing purpose. Sporadically, in formal situations, academic writing, or to sound more explicit, you can use "with the intention of".

Overusing this expression sounds wordy since you may be writing more words than necessary within a sentence. Occasionally, however, you can introduce it to avoid repetition.

We have created a new strategy with the intention of improving manufacturing quality and productivity.

You can also use it at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. In this case, add a comma after the phrase introduced by "with the intention of".

With the intention of creating a better atmosphere for our employees, we make sure workspaces are properly illuminated.

Instead of "with the intention of", you can use these compound prepositions to express purpose. All of them have a similar meaning, carry the same degree of formality, and are used in the same way:

  • With the aim of
  • With a view to
  • For the purpose of/With the purpose of
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