purposeless

adjective

Definition of purposelessnext
as in aimless
having or seeming to have no purpose or reason I have to go to another purposeless meeting tonight. purposeless suffering

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purposeless Religion gives meaning to human lives, which otherwise can feel purposeless. — WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021 In How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell talks about how the pursuit of productivity — driven by capitalism, competition, and consumption — has redirected our attention outward, leaving us feeling empty and purposeless. — refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2021 Although gender is effectively purposeless—if not irrelevant—in gaming, my brothers reflected society's obsession with forcing others to choose between pink or blue. — Jamie Valentino, Wired, 22 June 2021 These protests are nearly all disingenuous, false and specious, and meant to utilize fear to continue a tragic and purposeless war. — Matthew Hoh, CNN, 17 May 2021 See All Example Sentences for purposeless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeless
  1. aimless
  2. meaningless
  3. haphazard
  4. minor
  5. little
  6. useless
  7. pointless
  8. slight
Adjective
  • The film deals with an urban legend that a Nevada reservoir is a time portal, and the aimless group of teenage best friends who become obsessed with going back in history.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Youth sports, once the redoubt of aimless childhood play, have become hopelessly commercialized.
    — Nora Kenney Mittiga, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of aimless
Adjective
  • But San Francisco is now 4-0 with three wins by double digits and a fourth that would have been a nine-point win if not for a virtually meaningless late field goal last week.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Functional performance has always been counted in throughput, cost per transaction and cycle time, and those measures become close to meaningless once the routine work runs itself.
    — Charisma Glassman, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • Violent crime, once almost unknown on the island, is rising sharply—another sign of the state’s haphazard retreat.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • With no clear guidance, haphazard and improvised efforts by companies to clean the homes left 6 in 10 residences still unsafe.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of haphazard
Adjective
  • Also, people are putting a little too much play on this whole almost a dance minor thing.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That seemingly minor detail can have huge consequences for the entire economy.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • While her work regularly brings her into close proximity with children, Uta has little interest in starting a family of her own.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • His viewing has little to do with finance, ranging from 1950s commercials to Uzbekistan’s version of America’s Got Talent.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Giving batteries second life EV batteries can lose the capacity needed for driving without becoming useless.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Shohei Ohtani, the best player in the history of baseball, was useless.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of useless
Adjective
  • Ultimately, the fight proved pointless anyway as Seinfeld and David figured out how to get both Bauer and Skowron in there.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Totally ruined by introducing too many plot lines that were pointless or opened up and left alone without closure.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of pointless
Adjective
  • The two remained locked in a tight race as early voting nears with Talarico having a slight edge in most polls.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The bodice of the top was a crisp white, while the sleeves were cast in vibrant yellow, a slight nod to the bold color trend for the season.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of slight

Browse Nearby Words

purposefulness
purposeless
purposely
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Cite this Entry

“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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