Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Well-intentioned.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Well-intentioned: frequently used with slight contempt.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having a good intention.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective With good intentions, often used to reflect positively on a negative outcome or situation.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective not unfriendly or threatening
  • adjective marked by good intentions though often producing unfortunate results

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But what permanently endeared him to many in the city was his reaction a few years ago to a nickname that well-meaning supporters began applying to him: El Hombre.

    Taking a Swing at Restoring a Legend Mark Lasswell 2011

  • The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.

    The Conservative Assault on the Constitution Erwin Chemerinsky 2010

  • Well, we sent them packing - and I herewith formally apologize to those well-meaning friends who sent them our way thinking that they were doing us a favor.

    Global Voices in English » Global: The push to boycott Shark Week 2009

  • In 2008, she says, 3,849 out of 9,000 California schools used ESY, which she regards as part of the "new Food Hysteria" that is promoted by “an agglomeration of foodies and educational reformers who are propelled by a vacuous if well-meaning ideology.”

    Food Fight Olga Bonfiglio 2010

  • Who can help but to fall in love with Quark's well-meaning, clumsy, brilliant brother Rom?

    Revisiting Star Trek [Part 3 of 7]: Deep Space Nine 2009

  • A great many were honest and well-meaning, and their optimism about the possibilities of science and technology remain very strong with us today.

    Harry Bruinius - An interview with author 2010

  • In 2008, she says, 3,849 out of 9,000 California schools used ESY, which she regards as part of the "new Food Hysteria" that is promoted by “an agglomeration of foodies and educational reformers who are propelled by a vacuous if well-meaning ideology.”

    Archive 2010-03-01 Olga Bonfiglio 2010

  • A number of well-meaning colleagues said things to me like, "You know, even Faulkner didn't write about black people in the first person."

    A Conversation with Hillary Jordan, author of the debut novel, Mudbound 2010

  • In 2008, she says, 3,849 out of 9,000 California schools used ESY, which she regards as part of the "new Food Hysteria" that is promoted by “an agglomeration of foodies and educational reformers who are propelled by a vacuous if well-meaning ideology.”

    Food Fight Olga Bonfiglio 2010

  • And I wonder how appalling the idea of eugenics seems to a great number of honest, well-meaning people today.

    Harry Bruinius - An interview with author 2010

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