Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or goal: synonym: intention.
- noun Determination; resolution.
- transitive verb To intend or resolve.
- idiom (on purpose) Intentionally; deliberately.
- idiom (to good purpose) With good results.
- idiom (little/no) With few or no results.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In biology, the result which a structure tends to secure, without any reference to an intelligent agent.
- To propose; intend; design; mean: generally with an infinitive.
- To resolve; determine, or determine on.
- Synonyms To mean, meditate.
- To have intention or design; intend; mean.
- To discourse.
- noun A thing proposed or intended; an object to be kept in view or subserved in any operation or course of action; end proposed; aim.
- noun Proposition; proposal; point to be considered or acted upon.
- noun Hence Intended or desired effect; practical advantage or result; use; subject or matter in hand; question at issue: as, to speak to the purpose.
- noun Intention; design; resolve; resolution; determination.
- noun Import; meaning: purport; intent.
- noun Discourse; conversation.
- noun Instance; example.
- noun plural A sort of conversational game. Compare
cross-purpose , 2. - noun A dance resembling a cotillion, a characteristic feature of which was the introduction of confidential or coquettish conversation.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb obsolete To have a purpose or intention; to discourse.
- transitive verb obsolete To set forth; to bring forward.
- transitive verb To propose, as an aim, to one's self; to determine upon, as some end or object to be accomplished; to intend; to design; to resolve; -- often followed by an infinitive or dependent clause.
- noun That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion; view; aim; design; intention; plan.
- noun obsolete Proposal to another; discourse.
- noun obsolete Instance; example.
- noun with previous design; with the mind directed to that object; intentionally.
On purpose is the form now generally used.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An
object to bereached ; atarget ; anaim ; agoal . - noun A result that is desired; an
intention . - noun The act of
intending to do something;resolution ;determination . - noun The
subject ofdiscourse ; the point atissue . - noun The
reason for which something is done, or the reason it is done in a particular way. - verb transitive Have set as one's purpose;
resolve toaccomplish ;intend ;plan . - verb transitive (passive)
Designed for some purpose. - verb obsolete, intransitive To have a purpose or intention; to
discourse .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
- verb propose or intend
- verb reach a decision
- noun what something is used for
- noun the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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Their first argument is that the very consideration of purpose is deceptive: according to them, true purpose is unknowable, and its search merely an excuse for courts to act selectively and unpredictably in picking out evidence of subjective intent.
McCreary Ruling Good News for Science Education - The Panda's Thumb 2005
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He had seemed to love it little in the years when every penny had its purpose for him; for he loved the _purpose_ then.
Silas Marner George Eliot 1849
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Not that I mean to say, that I always began to write with a distinct purpose formally conceived; but I believe that my habits of meditation have so formed my feelings, as that my descriptions of such objects as strongly excite those feelings, will be found to carry along with them a _purpose_.
Lyrical Ballads, with Other Poems, 1800, Volume 1 William Wordsworth 1810
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Not that I always began to write with a distinct purpose formerly conceived; but habits of meditation have, I trust, so prompted and regulated my feelings, that my descriptions of such objects as strongly excite those feelings, will be found to carry along with them a _purpose_.
Prefaces and Prologues to Famous Books with Introductions, Notes and Illustrations Edmund Spenser 1730
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But the main purpose is to increase accountability.
Government's 'bonfire of the quangos' plan will cost as much as it saves Polly Curtis 2010
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The main purpose is about greatly advancing the ideological goal of nationalizing the American economy.
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Its main purpose is to make tons and tons of money and get big advertising sponsors.
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Their main purpose is making money regardless how unethical or immoral their acts will impact the society at large.
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But the IOC has proven that its main purpose is not to promote sports and fun and national competition.
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I was checking the job listings on the site and they're main purpose is for short films/television specials including pre-existing Pixar characters.
Pixar’s Dinosaur Project is… a Discovery Channel TV Special? | /Film 2010
pterodactyl commented on the word purpose
There's something strange and troubling about this word. In modern usage, "purpose" is a noun, and yet it take affixes as if it were some other part of speech.
Example 1: "Purposely". The suffix "-ly" is supposed to take an adjective and turn it into an adverb. But "purpose" is not an adjective.
Example 2: "Repurpose". The prefix "re-" is supposed to take a verb and turn it into another verb. But "purpose" is not a verb.
This is really creepy. "Purpose" is some kind of uncanny monster. I'm getting the cold shivers just thinking about it.
June 21, 2009
writer723 commented on the word purpose
the point of ones life. a reason one gives for being and continuing in this life. if there is no purpose or meaning than what is the point of life. is it necessary to have purpose in order to want to stay alive?
May 3, 2011
destabrook commented on the word purpose
If something is not done on purpose it is happening by accident.
July 20, 2015
vendingmachine commented on the word purpose
All-accident flour.
July 20, 2015
bilby commented on the word purpose
*snicker*
July 21, 2015