Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A usually unintentionally conflicting or contrary purpose.
- idiom (at cross-purposes) Pursuing conflicting or contrary goals, usually unintentionally.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An opposing or counter purpose; a conflicting intention or plan; a plan or course of action running counter to the plan or course of action purposed by another: most frequently in the plural: as, they are pursuing cross-purposes.
- noun plural A sort of conversational game; a game of words or phrases used at random.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A counter or opposing purpose; a contrary aim; hence, that which is inconsistent or contradictory.
- noun A conversational game, in which questions and answers are made so as to involve ludicrous combinations of ideas.
- noun to misunderstand or to act counter to one another without intending it; -- said of persons.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun idiomatic A
contrary orconflicting purpose orunderstanding , especially anunintentional ormisconceived one. - noun dated A
conversational game , in whichquestions andanswers are made so as to involveludicrous combinations ofideas .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a contrary aim
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word cross-purpose.
Examples
-
These cross-purpose directives underscore the corn-ethanol conundrum.
Robert Howarth: Record Corn Crop Spells More Trouble for Gulf of Mexico Fisheries 2009
-
The brother is driven to despair — he bites his nails, winks, coughs, makes signs, which she always takes up at cross-purpose. —
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
-
Most of them are former US military, and the idea they would operate at cross-purpose to the active military is laughable.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Military Privatization and the Danger of Coups: 2007
-
Insect societies as divided organisms: The complexities of purpose and cross-purpose
NAS Sackler Colloquium papers online - The Panda's Thumb 2007
-
Most of them are former US military, and the idea they would operate at cross-purpose to the active military is laughable.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Military Privatization and the Danger of Coups: 2007
-
Both clearly see the strange, romantic threads restraining them within coercive limits, interdicting helpful alliances while leading all at divergent angles of cross-purpose.
Oswald Langdon or, Pierre and Paul Lanier. A Romance of 1894-1898 Carson Jay Lee
-
The pretty vision greeted him with the air of a privileged child of the house, interrupting only for an instant the babel of cross-purpose explanation about carriages and trains.
The Convert 1907
-
The pretty vision greeted him with the air of a privileged child of the house, interrupting only for an instant the babel of cross-purpose explanation about carriages and trains.
The Convert Elizabeth Robins 1907
-
On the contrary, there is a vast shadow of melancholy, a painful sadness, doubt and cross-purpose, boldness at one moment and timidity at the next, a longing for solitude.
Half a Rogue Harold MacGrath 1901
-
Antipholus is also now reassured about his gold, and the earlier cross-purpose seems only
Shakespeare Study Programs; The Comedies Charlotte Endymion Porter 1900
vendingmachine commented on the word cross-purpose
See also cross purpose.
October 15, 2021