aim

1 an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; "his intent was to provide a new translation"; "good intentions are not enough"; "it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs"; "he made no secret of his designs" [syn: purpose, intent, intention, design]

2 the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable); "the sole object of her trip was to see her children" [syn: object, objective, target]

3 the action of directing something at an object; "he took aim and fired"

4 the direction or path along which something moves or along which it lies [syn: bearing, heading]

1 aim or direct at; as of blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment; "Please don't aim at your little brother!"; "He trained his gun on the burglar"; "Don't train your camera on the women"; "Take a swipe at one's opponent" [syn: take, train, take aim, direct]

2 propose or intend; "I aim to arrive at noon" [syn: purpose, purport, propose]

3 move into a desired direction of discourse; "What are you driving at?" [syn: drive, get]

4 specifically design a product, event, or activity for a certain public [syn: calculate, direct]

5 intend (something) to move towards a certain goal; "He aimed his fists towards his opponent's face"; "criticism directed at her superior"; "direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself" [syn: target, place, direct, point]

6 direct (a remark) toward an intended goal; "She wanted to aim a pun"

7 have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal [syn: draw a bead on, aspire, shoot for]

English

Etymology

OE. amen, aimen, eimen, to guess at, to estimate, to aim, OF. esmer, asmer, fr. Latin aestimare to estimate; or perh. fr. OF. aesmer; ? (Latin ad) + esmer.

Pronunciation

• /eɪm/, /eIm/
• Rhymes: -eɪm

Noun

1. The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, or object, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the direction of anything, as a spear, a blow, a discourse, a remark, towards a particular point or object, with a view to strike or affect it.
2. The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected.
3. Intention; purpose; design; scheme.
4. AIM; AOL Instant Messenger.

Usage notes

• Sense 3. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• aspiration
• design
• drift
• end
• intention
• object
• purpose
• scheme
• scope
• tendency

Translations

• Czech: záměr
• Dutch: doel
• French: cible (all)
• German: Ziel
• Greek: σκοπός
• Ido: skopo
• Japanese: 目標 (mokuhyō) (3)
• Malayalam: ലക്ഷ്യം (lakshyam) (2,3)
• Swedish: sikte (1,3)
• Russian: цель (tsel’) , намерение (namereniye)
• Spanish: blanco
• Swahili: lengo
• Romanian: scop, ideal

Verb

1. To point or direct a missile weapon, or a weapon which propels as missile, towards an object or spot with the intent of hitting it; as, to aim at a fox, or at a target.
2. To direct the intention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor;—followed by at, or by an infinitive; as, to aim at distinction; to aim to do well.
3. To direct or point, as a weapon, at a particular object; to direct, as a missile, an act, or a proceeding, at, to, or against an object; as, to aim a musket or an arrow, the fist or a blow (at something); to aim a satire or a reflection (at some person or vice).

Derived terms

• aim at

Translations

• Czech: zamýšlet
• Finnish: tähdätä, osoittaa
• French: cibler
• Ido: apuntar
• Japanese: ねらう (nerau)
• Russian: 1. weapon: целиться, прицеливаться, направлять, нацеливать, 2. intention: домогаться, стремиться, иметь в виду, метить
• Swedish: sikta
• Swahili: kulenga
• Spanish: apuntar
• Portuguese: apontar

Derived terms

• ready, aim, fire!

defn Estonian

Aim or AIM may refer to:

As a word

• Aim (musician)
• Ai Maeda (seiyū), who is also called "AiM".
• Aim (demon).
• AIM 65 (computer)
• Aim toothpaste
• AIM Investment Management, an Australian financial planning company
• AIM Records, a record label
• AIM (rifle), a Romanian copy of the Russian AKM

As a set of initials

• Abrams Integrated Management
• Accuracy in Media
• Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation
• Advanced Idea Mechanics, in the Marvel Comics universe
• Adventures In Missions
• Aeronautical Information Manual
• Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, NASA satellite
• Africa Inland Mission
• A.I.M. (single), from the Cooper Temple Clause
• AIM alliance, Apple-IBM-Motorola alliance
• Alternative Investment Market, a stock exchange in London for small capitalisation listings
• American Indian Movement
• American Institute of Mathematics
• Ancestry-informative marker
• Anugerah Industri Muzik, Malaysia's annual music awards ceremony
• AOL Instant Messenger, an instant messaging service
• Artificial Intelligence Marketing, a type of marketing activity
• Asian Institute of Management
• Association of Independent Music
• Atlanta Institute Of Music
• Atoms in Molecules
• A.I.M. (Artists In Mind), to help mental hospital patients, based in Huddersfield in England.
• Army Institute of Management, Kolkata
• Adequate Information Management in Europe, research project

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