ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Intension

Intension is like having a secret formula to describe something. Imagine you have a puzzle with a lot of pieces, and you need to put them together. To do that, you need to know what the final picture will look like. That's kind of like intension. It's like having a picture in your mind of what you want to create or describe.

For example, let's say you want to describe what a cat is. You might say that a cat is a small, fluffy animal with pointy ears, a cute nose, and sharp claws. You have a picture of what a cat looks like in your mind, so you can describe it to someone else. That picture in your mind is the intension of what a cat is.

Intension can be used in many different ways. For example, scientists might use it to describe the properties of a particular substance, like water. They might say that water is a clear liquid that can be found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and that it's essential for life. They have a picture in their minds of what water is, so they can describe it accurately to others.

Overall, intension is a way of describing something by imagining what it looks like, feels like, or acts like. It helps us understand the world around us by giving us a way to talk about things in a clear and accurate way.