letter of intent

letter of intent — 名詞

1. a document that two people, companies, or organisations sign before they write a

1.名詞C1
釋義

意向書

表明合作意願的非正式協議文件

a document that two people, companies, or organisations sign before they write a final contract, showing that they agree on the basic goals and wish to continue negotiating toward a formal agreement

例句

Beatrix's firm signed a letter of intent to buy the software company for eight million dollars.

Beatrix 的公司簽署了一份意向書，打算以八百萬美元收購那家軟體公司。

letter of intent + to-infinitive (purpose clause)

The shopping mall developer submitted a letter of intent for the lease of the ground floor.

這間購物中心開發商提交了一樓租賃的意向書。

letter of intent + for + noun phrase (subject matter)

同義詞
  • memorandum of understanding

    a broader, often more detailed document used in international or government agreements; slightly more formal than LOI

  • term sheet

    a shorter, bullet-point-style document that lists the key financial terms; used especially in startup fundraising

  • heads of agreement

    Commonwealth term for a similar preliminary document; often interchangeable with LOI in UK and Australian contexts

反義詞
  • final contract

    a legally binding agreement, unlike a letter of intent which is typically non-binding

  • non-disclosure agreement

    a legally binding confidentiality contract signed before or alongside an LOI, with opposite legal force

文法句型

letter of intent + to-infinitive

letter of intent + for + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently followed by a to-infinitive clause ('letter of intent to acquire') or a for-phrase ('letter of intent for the merger'), both specifying the planned action. Unlike a formal contract, a letter of intent is often non-binding — the parties usually include a clause stating their intention is not legally enforceable.

常見錯誤

❌We signed an letter of intent yesterday.
✅We signed a letter of intent yesterday.
💡'letter' begins with a consonant sound, so the article is 'a', not 'an'.
❌The letter of intent is the same as a final contract.
✅A letter of intent is a preliminary document; the final contract comes later.
💡An LOI states an intention, not a binding promise.