meant to

USAGE SUMMARY

"meant to" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that was intended to happen. For example, "I meant to get to the store early, but I ended up being late."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"They're meant to kill.

The New York Times

She hadn't meant to.

The New Yorker

Or was meant to.

The New Yorker

It is meant to.

The Economist

Wasn't I meant to?

The New Yorker

It was meant to.

The Economist

It's meant to.

The New Yorker

It wasn't meant to.

Independent

It's meant to be nutritious.

Independent

They are meant to be.

The Economist

He'd meant to pull out.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid overuse in overly formal contexts where alternatives like "intended to" or "designed to" might provide a more refined tone.

Common error

Be careful to match the tense of "meant to" with the timeframe of the action. Using "mean to" when referring to a past intention is a common mistake. For example, use "I meant to call you yesterday" instead of "I mean to call you yesterday" when the intention was in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meant to" functions as an auxiliary verb phrase indicating intention, purpose, or expectation. It is used to express what someone intended to do, what something was designed for, or what is expected to happen, as seen in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Wiki

7%

Science

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meant to" is a very common and grammatically correct auxiliary verb phrase used to express intention, purpose, or expectation. As Ludwig AI confirms, its versatile usage spans across various contexts, as shown by the numerous examples from authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Economist. While it is most frequently found in News & Media, it also appears in more informal contexts. When writing, ensure the tense is correct and consider more formal alternatives like "intended to" when appropriate. Remember, that although Ludwig's analysis finds "meant to" grammatically correct and very common, using it incorrectly can confuse your readers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intended to

Replaces "meant" with a direct synonym, focusing on the planned or purposed nature of an action.

supposed to

Indicates an expectation or obligation, similar to an intended action or outcome.

designed to

Highlights the deliberate creation or planning behind something's purpose.

destined to

Suggests a predetermined or inevitable outcome, implying a higher power or fate.

expected to

Emphasizes anticipation or prediction of an event or action.

purposed to

A more formal substitute stressing the explicit purpose behind an action.

planned to

Focuses on the act of planning and the intention to execute a specific action.

scheduled to

Highlights the arrangement of an event or action within a specific timeframe.

created for

Emphasizes the reason of existence and intended use for a created object or system.

with the aim of

Indicates a goal or objective that someone is trying to achieve.

FAQs

How do I use "meant to" in a sentence?

"Meant to" indicates an intention, purpose, or destiny. For example, "This gift was "meant to be yours"" suggests the gift was intended for you.

What's the difference between "meant to" and "supposed to"?

"Meant to" generally implies intention or purpose, while "supposed to" suggests obligation or expectation. Although in some contexts they can overlap, "I was "meant to call you"" emphasizes my intention, whereas "I was "supposed to call you"" focuses on my obligation.

What can I say instead of "meant to"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "intended to", "designed to", or "destined to". Each carries a slightly different nuance.

Is it correct to say "wasn't meant to be"?

Yes, "wasn't "meant to be"" is a common idiom expressing that something was not destined or intended to happen.