for all intents and purposes

English

Alternative forms

• to all intents and purposes (UK)
• eggcorns (mishearings due to unfamiliarity with the word intent): for all (intensive/intrinsic/intense/intense and/intended/etc.) purposes.

Etymology

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.

Prepositional phrase

for all intents and purposes

1. For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect

   Synonyms: practically, for all practical purposes, in practice

   For all intents and purposes, the case is closed.

   This treaty, for all intents and purposes, is no longer viable.

Synonyms

• effectively, essentially, in essence, in effect, practically, virtually

Translations

for every functional purpose

• Finnish: käytännössä (fi)
• German: im Grunde (genommen), grundsätzlich (de)
• Hebrew: לכל דבר, לכל דבר ועניין (lekhól davár ve'inyán)
• Latin: effectū
• Polish: na dobrą sprawę (pl)
• Portuguese: para todos os efeitos
• Spanish: a todos los efectos