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
-
Yet, after advancing to the conference finals in 1974, the Knicks were aimless for a decade and a half and didn’t return to the East finals again until 1993.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
-
Ever since her father left the fort almost a whole season ago, walking off into the darkening blue hills with both his hounds, never to return, her mother has taken to these long and aimless searches, sometimes with Brith and sometimes without.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 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
-
Oh and in the first couple of episodes, there are deaths, big deaths, big meaningless deaths.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
San Diego isn’t effectively clearing flammable brush from private properties due to a haphazard inspection system that doesn’t include hefty fines and often fails to re-inspect properties deemed dangerous, a new city audit finds.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier in the year, Edwards dealt with a minor setback, which forced him to miss a handful of games early on.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
For those who had been convicted in the past, the data doesn't distinguish between minor offenses and violent crimes.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a global manufacturing hub — has been since the 17th-century, when local farmers needed a side-hustle during harsh winters, and started tinkering with big hands and little hands.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
-
According to the researchers, the discovery highlights how little is known about deep-ocean ecosystems and underscores the need for rigorous environmental assessments before large-scale mining is allowed to proceed.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Preliminary tests of the model conducted by NBC News, along with many examples shared on social media, found Anthropic’s protections took a broad view of potential suspicious activity, rendering the system useless for many mundane queries.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
Resident Raymond Hanley said his concern is that anti-pollution systems that Silverman would install in its parking lots and roadways could become useless if property maintenance is cut back in the future.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This town is well acquainted with long, pointless meetings packed full of boastful claims, but these truly bizarre White House events stand out even in such a crowded field.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
2 Dec. 2025
-
This result keeps them pointless and joint-bottom in the 18-team table, two points behind neighbours Paris FC.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The day before the fires ignited, the National Weather Service warned of extreme Valley heat, dry fuels, and a slight chance of thunderstorms.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
9 Dec. 2025
-
The fight to fill Miami’s mayor office comes to a head on Tuesday evening during a special runoff election as Democrat Eileen Higgins and Republican Emilio González are locked in a tight race, with the Democrat holding a slight lead in early voting.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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