Intergoal

Intergoal is a term without a single, universally recognized definition, and its meaning varies across domains. In sports analytics and coaching discussions, some writers use intergoal to describe transitional or bridging objectives that connect the immediate action leading to a goal with subsequent offensive or defensive aims. The focus in these uses is often on the transition between phases of play, rather than on the final scoring event itself.

In organizational and management contexts, intergoal concepts appear as intergoal alignment or intergoal dependencies, referring to how different goals within a team or organization influence one another. Discussions in this area emphasize how the pursuit or achievement of one goal can affect others, including potential trade-offs and synergies.

In artificial intelligence and computational planning, intergoal planning denotes problems where an agent pursues multiple goals that interact, requiring subgoaling strategies to move from the current state toward a set of target states. Here, an intergoal serves as an intermediate objective that helps connect immediate actions to a broader set of final objectives.

Core idea and common thread: across these uses, intergoal generally denotes an intermediate objective, a transition, or an alignment element that links primary goals rather than representing a final endpoint. Etymology stems from inter- meaning between and goal, reflecting the notion of bridging or coordinating aims.

Notes: The term does not have a single canonical definition in standard reference works. When encountered, it is best to consult domain-specific sources to understand how intergoal is being defined and applied in that context. See also: goal, intermediate goal, multi-goal planning, goal alignment.