purpose
Americannoun
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purposes
plural
-
the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
-
determination; resoluteness.
-
the subject in hand; the point at issue.
-
practical result, effect, or advantage.
to act to good purpose.
verb (used with object)
-
to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself.
-
to intend; design.
- Synonyms:
- plan, contemplate, mean
-
to resolve (to do something).
He purposed to change his way of life radically.
verb (used without object)
idioms
-
on purpose, by design; intentionally.
How could you do such a thing on purpose?
-
to the purpose, relevant; to the point.
Her objections were not to the purpose.
noun
-
the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists
-
a fixed design, outcome, or idea that is the object of an action or other effort
-
fixed intention in doing something; determination
a man of purpose
-
practical advantage or use
to work to good purpose
-
that which is relevant or under consideration (esp in the phrase to or from the purpose )
-
archaic purport
-
intentionally
verb
Synonym Usage
See intention.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prepurposeverb (used with object)
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repurposeverb (used with object)
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unpurposedadjective
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unpurposingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of purpose
First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English purpos, from Old French, derivative of purposer, variant of proposer “to propose ”; (verb) Middle English purposen, from Anglo-French, Old French purposer
Explanation
When you do something with purpose, you do it with determination. When your activities have a purpose, you have an aim or intention in mind. This noun also has a third meaning: "function, role, or use." The purpose of a fork, for instance, is to spear and scoop food from your plate, not to poke your little brother at the dinner table. Purpose can also be used as a verb meaning "to reach a decision" or "to intend," though these uses of the word are quite a bit less frequent nowadays.
Vocabulary lists containing purpose
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Records detailing the purpose of Paxton’s visits to 36 states and 19 countries do not appear to exist in most cases.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Their results suggest that this prehistoric adhesive may have served a second, previously overlooked purpose: helping protect wounds from infection.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
They were later arrested on suspicion of namely entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK under Section 4 of the National Security Act.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
A spokesperson for Zanjani also previously told the Journal that the financier “has neither required nor relied upon any cryptocurrency exchange for the purpose of money laundering or sanction evasion.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Once rid of her and her unlucky charm, he turned and strode off with purpose.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Artex had been open-source -- allowing programmers to download its underlying code and customise it to suit their purposes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
In a study published in Bioactive Materials, scientists found that the medication lacosamide can serve two purposes in osteoarthritis, reducing joint pain while also reversing cartilage damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Diesel that is used “off road”—in farm equipment or for heating purposes, for example—isn’t subject to those taxes, and is dyed red to distinguish it from taxable product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Gabriel's real name is Joseph Junior Andreou O'Cearuill - but he is reported to have changed his name for commercial purposes.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
I provided an exegesis, not as brief as it might have been, of why at the moment I found the college satisfactory for my purposes.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
QCi said Monday that the foundry, “currently purposed for research and development and prototyping,” had begun to generate early revenue, though contributions weren’t broken out in the report.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
If the purposed minimum pay rate does go through, it'll be the first of its kind nationwide.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2023
“I stood next to the job for four years. I purposed to be ready every day for four years,” Pence said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2023
“There are no awards. There are no winners or losers tonight. It’s just our passion that makes our heart beat faster. It makes our life so much more greatly purposed with joy and fulfillment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2023
I do not know how, purposed with so high & noble Aims, we end thus in Ruin.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
As ProPublica detailed in 2016, several state court systems have adopted a proprietary software that purports to put a probability on recidivism for sentencing purposing.
From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2021
I read with my watch upon the table, purposing to close my book at eleven o’clock.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
His papers yet lay tied up in a bundle at the bottom of the chest, where he had packed them; purposing to take them with him in his elopement.
From Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and Travels, Vol. I (of 2) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
He has a line over the side, but seems to be heading out to sea, as though purposing to cross the ocean itself.
From The Red Derelict by Bertram Mitford
If we are purposing to rebuild the fallen ideals of our own day, and so reconstruct our common life, can we do better than stand near this man for guidance and inspiration?
From The Whole Armour of God by John Henry Jowett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
