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
-
As the game went on, Newcastle struggled to play out from the back, opting for aimless long balls.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Gameplay-wise, On the Beach is a bit more conventional than its predecessor, emphasizing familiar stealth and combat mechanics alongside the aimless wandering.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
1 May 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
-
After seeking out a nearby fishmonger and calculating what this ingredient would cost me (a precious $30 per pound), I was left with a minor headache.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
-
Richards opened the season in Philadelphia’s minor-league system, made nine appearances at the Triple-A level, was called up to the parent club on April 30 and pitched twice for the Phillies before he was traded to the Sox on Tuesday.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The hearts and minds of Braves players were on Bobby Cox on a sunny evening at Dodger Stadium before the middle game of a three-game series against the Dodgers — a game that meant very little, considering the news of the day.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
-
The peas themselves are piled like cabochons over a thin pastry shell, dressed in a tart citrus vinaigrette and studded with slivers of pickled shallots that deliver bracing little sparks of brine against the crisp sweetness of the legumes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But at a certain point in adulthood, prayer began to feel useless to me.—
Terry Ward,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
From certain side sections, the rear screen was nearly useless.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
New York’s Constitution forbids that and trying to change it for 2028 is pointless.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
-
If the whale dies at sea, their work may seem pointless in retrospect.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
After the unremarkable Chip Kelly recruiting era, which begat a slight bump under DeShaun Foster, what first-year coach Bob Chesney has done, before coaching a game, has been downright remarkable.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
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The video shows slight puffs of smoke from the Sea Star’s smokestack, and then darker smoke rising from it after the strike.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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