A more thorough explanation:

Intent refers to the reason behind an action. In criminal law, it is the mental objective behind a crime. It is proven by circumstantial evidence such as the acts or knowledge of the defendant. Criminal intent, also known as mens rea, is one of two elements that must be proven in order to secure a conviction. The other element is the actual act, or actus reus.

For example, if someone intentionally steals something, their intent is to take something that does not belong to them. In this case, the prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to steal the item.

Intent can be classified into general and specific. General intent corresponds loosely with knowledge of a crime, while specific intent refers to the purpose behind committing it. Drawing this distinction is important because they carry different standards of proof. For general intent, the prosecution only needs to prove that the defendant intended to do the act in question. For specific intent, the prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to bring about a specific consequence through their actions or that they performed the action with a wrongful purpose.

For example, if someone intentionally kills another person, their intent is to take the victim's life. In this case, the prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to kill the victim. However, if someone accidentally kills another person while driving under the influence of alcohol, their intent is not to take the victim's life. In this case, the prosecution must prove that the defendant acted recklessly and knew that their actions could result in harm to others.

Intent is also important in contracts. Courts find the objective intent of the parties by looking to the language used in the contract when it was formed. If the language of the contract is ambiguous, courts can consider extrinsic evidence when determining the intent of the parties.

For example, if two parties enter into a contract to sell a car, the intent is for one party to sell the car to the other party. If the contract is unclear about the price of the car, the court may consider evidence such as emails or text messages exchanged between the parties to determine the intent of the contract.

In administrative law, courts have the authority to determine legislative intent for the purposes of statutory construction. In doing so, courts primarily look to the language of the statute as understood when codified. Courts also consider circumstances under which the statute was enacted, purpose, and legislative history.

For example, if a statute is unclear about whether it applies to a certain type of business, the court may consider the purpose of the statute and the legislative history to determine whether the statute applies to that business.