1
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
the purpose of the research is to discover how the virus is transmitted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in roles
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists
still trying to discover her purpose in life
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plans
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I've been purposing to fix that thing for some time now
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 purposes
Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional veterinary advice.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
For all intents and purposes, Russini’s career is over.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
That's placed there by terrorist groups, foreign intelligence services and others, specifically for the purposes of inspiring and inciting violence.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Growing ornamental perennial grasses in your landscape serves multiple purposes.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Princess Elizabeth and her family toured the Sandringham Park grounds, which were being used for agricultural purposes to contribute to the war efforts, in August 1943.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Nefarious purposes like surveillance can be done by following location services on a user’s phone, for example.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Here, sheep can’t solve crimes until human incompetence forces them to step into the breach; though pushed for the purposes of fantasy, the limits of animal intelligence are a poignant factor in the tale.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional veterinary advice.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
For all intents and purposes, Russini’s career is over.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
That's placed there by terrorist groups, foreign intelligence services and others, specifically for the purposes of inspiring and inciting violence.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Growing ornamental perennial grasses in your landscape serves multiple purposes.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Princess Elizabeth and her family toured the Sandringham Park grounds, which were being used for agricultural purposes to contribute to the war efforts, in August 1943.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Nefarious purposes like surveillance can be done by following location services on a user’s phone, for example.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposes
Noun
-
Senior forward Jordyn Washington, who also scored Tuesday, has a team-best 17 goals.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Beachy is worried that basic research could take a back seat to short-term goals as defined by the White House.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With the Moon in your 10th House squaring Mars in your 7th, expectations can clash if roles or responsibilities aren’t clear.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Students in the class this semester are redesigning the AI agent to smooth out some kinks, and Ipeirotis plans to use it in all his future classes.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Carriers have also been pulling back on their capacity growth plans to cut costs, which can drive up airfare when fewer seats are for sale.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As this Premier League campaign has perhaps demonstrated more than most others, Villa do not need to be implacable to achieve their objectives.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Throughout the conflict, objectives have been poorly defined and inconsistently communicated.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With these machines, the researchers built a mock multi-robot assembly line where three different robotic arms cooperated to complete a sequence of tasks.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Those are the problematic tasks of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a court filing Tuesday, prosecutors said Fairley intends to plead guilty in the sports betting case and a separate case in which he and others are accused of scheming to obtain nonpublic information to bet on college basketball and Chinese Basketball Association games.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, Barclays intends to return more than £15 billion of capital to shareholders between 2026 and 2028.—
Chloe Taylor,Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the association’s key aims is to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas, business strategies, and improvements.—
Marlen Bartsch,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mentorship is not an initiative but part of how the organization functions.—
Richard P. Weigand,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Standard multi-color leather front seats include heating and ventilation functions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposes. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
