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
The small depression sitting in the middle of their abdomen might seem purposeless, like the body’s own errata.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
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
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeless
Adjective
-
Liam, once aimless and unhoused, quickly finds purpose in the charade as a husband and father.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
-
The book is structured as a quest to figure out why a class of aimless young men in late-Thatcherist Blighty get their kicks out of getting paralytically drunk and bashing one another half to death every weekend.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Many feminist Marxists believed, in the ’70s, that the liberation of sexuality would change the way that all people love one another and inhabit their bodies, such that the very categories of cissexual society shall become odd and meaningless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
But that doesn't mean the data is unimportant or meaningless, especially when HRV is considered alongside other health information such as sleep quality, resting heart rate, activity levels, recovery patterns or stress metrics.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the early 2000s, especially, Ashley favored haphazard updos, with layers falling from the sides, as seen at the spring 2005 Marc Jacobs show in New York.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
-
However, what ends up on screen is interminably dull, both in its visual construction and in its haphazard narrative swerves.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries and declined the offer to be transported to a nearby hospital.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
After signing a minor-league deal earlier in the month, outfielder Jarred Kelenic was entered into the Texas Rangers’ starting lineup in the 6-4 extra-innings loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Globe Life Field.—
Cal Phillips,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
There, officers found the little girl with severe, life-threatening injuries.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
Contrary to popular belief, the central bank has little influence over home loan rates.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
Using that quartet in what is essentially a useless game would be playing with fire.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
Maps had become useless; streets and landmarks washed away or hidden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Less friction for good actors, less room for bad actors, and less pointless duplication for everyone else, all the while protecting platforms from data breaches and litigation.—
Raj Ananthanpillai,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Fresh walls and old trims can be a pointless exercise, as shabby trims will attract attention for all the wrong reasons.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
-
The team has improved so much that its 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil was a slight disappointment.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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