purpose

1 of 2

noun

pur·​pose ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce purpose (audio)
1
a
: something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention
2
: a subject under discussion or an action in course of execution

purpose

2 of 2

verb

purposed; purposing

transitive verb

: to propose as an aim to oneself
Phrases
on purpose
: by intent : intentionally
Choose the Right Synonym for purpose

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain.

intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

Examples of purpose in a Sentence

Noun Shocking as it is, more than a month after the hurricane hit, New Orleans is still, for all practical purposes, a ghost town. Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
By the time … American aid began pouring in, to all intents and purposes the war had already been lost. Neil L. Jamieson, Understanding Vietnam, 1993
But wartime wage and price controls prevented companies from competing for the available talent by means of increased salaries. They had to compete with fringe benefits instead, and free health insurance was tailor-made for this purpose. John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, May - June 1992
His purpose is to realize himself, to live the fullest possible life, and he is responsible for this, like all men, regardless of how society treats him. Shelby Steele, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 1990
The purpose of the new resort is to attract more tourists. The loans are small but they serve a good purpose. Sometimes his life seemed to lack purpose or meaning. We started work again with a renewed sense of purpose. Verb I have not purposed to misrepresent this boy in any way, for what little indignation he excited in me soon passed and left nothing behind it but compassion. Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad, 1880
The child then explained that they had left the races on the first day, and were travelling to the next town on that road, where they purposed to spend the night. Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1841
I've been purposing to fix that thing for some time now.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Chargers are retaining Joey Bosa after the veteran edge rusher agreed to rework his contract for salary-cap purposes. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Among its many provisions, the Act allows officials to deem powerful general purpose AI models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini, as systemic risks, forcing developers to conduct heavy testing and implement strict security protections. Alan Murray, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 That deal runs until the end of 2025 but has two void years attached for salary-cap manipulation purposes. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 The astonishing rise of general purpose AI models, exemplified by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, sent EU policymakers scrambling to keep up. Kelvin Chan, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Existing state laws already ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters for recreational purposes and for any purpose to people under 18. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 Experts say that clarifying the purpose of the checkbox in a more direct way could help improve the quality of data collection. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Responses are for informational purposes only and individuals should consider whether any general recommendation in these responses are suitable for their particular circumstances based on investment objectives, financial situation and needs. Amy Wagner and Steve Hruby, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 In May 2023, Alastair explained the purpose behind the events. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purpose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English purpos, from Anglo-French, from purposer to intend, propose, from Latin proponere (perfect indicative proposui) to propose — more at propound

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purpose was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near purpose

Cite this Entry

“Purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purpose. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

purpose

noun
pur·​pose
ˈpər-pəs
1
: something set up as an end to be attained
2
: an object or result achieved
worked to little purpose
purposeful
-fəl
adjective
purposefully
-fə-lē
adverb
purposefulness
-fəl-nəs
noun
purposeless
-pəs-ləs
adjective

Legal Definition

purpose

noun
pur·​pose ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce purpose (audio)
: an objective, effect, or result aimed at or attained
specifically : the business activity in which a corporation is chartered to engage
purposeful adjective
purposefully adverb
purposefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on purpose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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