Meanings
alternative to all intents and purposes · alternative eggcorns · alternative intensive · alternative intrinsic · alternative intense · alternative intense and · alternative intended
- For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect
For all intents and purposes, the case is closed.
1 more example
This treaty, for all intents and purposes, is no longer viable.
Synonyms: practically, for all practical purposes, in practice, effectively, essentially, in essence, in effect, virtually
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseFor every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin every practical sense
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From the 16ᵗʰ century English-law phrase “to all intents, constructions, and purposes”, which is found in an act adopted under Henry VIII in 1547.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch in de praktijk
- in de praktijkfor every functional purpose
Finnish käytännössä
- käytännössäfor every functional purpose
French à toutes fins utiles
- à toutes fins utilesfor every functional purpose
German im Grunde
- im Grundefor every functional purpose
Hebrew לכל דבר, לכל דבר ועניין
- לכל דברfor every functional purpose
- לכל דבר ועניין (lekhól davár ve'inyán)for every functional purpose
Hungarian alapjában véve
- alapjában vévefor every functional purpose
Icelandic að stofni til
- að stofni tilfor every functional purpose
Irish is geall le
- is geall lefor every functional purpose
Italian a tutti gli effetti
- a tutti gli effettifor every functional purpose
Latin effectū
- effectūfor every functional purpose
Polish na dobrą sprawę
- na dobrą sprawęfor every functional purpose
Portuguese para todos os efeitos
- para todos os efeitosfor every functional purpose
Spanish a todos los efectos
- a todos los efectosfor every functional purpose
Swedish i grund och botten
- i grund och bottenfor every functional purpose
Cite this entry
for all intents and purposes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes
“for all intents and purposes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “for all intents and purposes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes.
Source: for all intents and purposes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.