INTENSION

intension, connotation

(noun) what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

intension (plural intensions)

intensity or the act of becoming intense .

(logic, semantics) Any property or quality connoted by a word, phrase or other symbol, contrasted with actual instances in the real world to which the term applies.

(dated) A straining, stretching, or bending; the state of being strained.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with intention.

Source: Wiktionary

In*ten"sion, n. Etym: [L. intensio: cf. F. intension. See Intend, and cf. Intention.]

1. A straining, stretching, or bending; the state of being strained; as, the intension of a musical string.

2. Increase of power or energy of any quality or thing; intenseness; fervency. Jer. Taylor. Sounds . . . likewise do rise and fall with the intension or remission of the wind. Bacon.

3. (Logic & Metaph.)

Definition: The collective attributes, qualities, or marks that make up a complex general notion; the comprehension, content, or connotation; - - opposed to extension, extent, or sphere. This law is, that the intension of our knowledge is in the inverse ratio of its extension. Sir W. Hamilton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition