आशय मन की वह इच्छा है जो व्यक्ति को कोई कार्य करने को प्रेरित करती है। आशय का आपराधिक विधि में बहुत महत्त्व है बिना आशय के कोई बात अपराध नहीं हो सकती है।

An intention is a mental state in which the agent commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the content of the intention while the commitment is the attitude towards this content. Other mental states can have action plans as their content, as when one admires a plan, but differ from intentions since they do not involve a practical commitment to realizing this plan. Successful intentions bring about the intended course of action while unsuccessful intentions fail to do so. Intentions, like many other mental states, have intentionality: they represent possible states of affairs.