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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Recent Examples of purposeless
Avoid purposeless arguments online — stick with real-life relationships that need fixing.
—
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
But here’s a question: How much longer can the country afford to lure so many of its promising talents into a life of purposeless paper-pushing and legalized economic vandalism that antitrust has become?
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 10 May 2022
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
In Mazars, Trump may yet be able to convince the lower courts that Congress’s rationale for seeking his financial records is too broad, too partisan, or too purposeless.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 July 2020
Well, given the malignant chaos of a purposeless universe, what’s one little false allegation in the scheme of things?
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2020
Marine biologists had thought that the pelvic bones were purposeless in the marine environment, and would eventually disappear given another million or so years of evolution.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2014
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
But here’s a question: How much longer can the country afford to lure so many of its promising talents into a life of purposeless paper-pushing and legalized economic vandalism that antitrust has become?
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 10 May 2022
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
In Mazars, Trump may yet be able to convince the lower courts that Congress’s rationale for seeking his financial records is too broad, too partisan, or too purposeless.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 July 2020
Well, given the malignant chaos of a purposeless universe, what’s one little false allegation in the scheme of things?
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2020
Marine biologists had thought that the pelvic bones were purposeless in the marine environment, and would eventually disappear given another million or so years of evolution.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeless
Adjective
-
Long aimless drives opened up my small teenage world.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s goal is to distract you from rising gas prices, his aimless war, ICE abuses, and the Epstein files.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The second happens when the cords of logic break entirely; these patients jump from idea to idea in a meaningless way, and their speech is nonsensical—what doctors call word salad.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
And at the same time, how meaningless a basketball game actually was in the bigger scheme of things.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rosenior abandoned his haphazard experiment at half-time, bringing on forward Alejandro Garnacho for centre-back Wesley Fofana and reverting to a back four.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Through orchestra, chamber music, and even haphazard improv with friends, music has acted as a bridge to understanding others and continuing to explore and learn with them.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Snitker managed numerous minor-league clubs over the years, including Richmond, Mississippi, Durham and Macon.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Any minor spills or leaks within this storage area are expected to be contained within the basement level.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the correspondents’ dinner, and security has typically been focused on the ballroom and rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Security has typically been focused on the ballroom — rather than the hotel at large — with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.—
Bridget Byrne,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a generally useless exercise, NFL draft analysts have delivered their annual grades.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
-
What also follows is a useless debate over the cultural impact of the movie amid concerns that the film is a little loose with the truth or outright forgetful about key moments of Jackson’s complex and complicated life.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nick Suzuki’s top line for Montreal was held pointless at five-on-five for a third straight game.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To see players announced and introduced after 10 minutes of pointless waiting and camera shots of team executives sitting around a table looking at laptops before clapping after every decision.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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