intensions
Intensions refer to the sense or concept associated with a term, as opposed to its extension, which is the actual set of objects the term applies to in a given world. An intension can be thought of as the conditions, properties, or mental content that determine whether something falls under a term. In this view, the extension of a term can vary across possible worlds, while its intension remains the underlying concept.
In formal semantics, especially in possible-worlds semantics, the intension of a predicate is modeled as a function
Intensional contexts include belief, desire, necessity, and possibility. In such contexts, substituting co-extensional terms can change
Historically, the distinction between sense (often linked to Frege’s Sinn) and reference underlies the development of
A typical example contrasts a term’s intension with its extension: the intension of “bachelor” includes being