end in itself

Idioms and Phrases

A purpose or goal desired for its own sake (rather than to attain something else). For example, For me, writing books is an end in itself; they don't really make that much money . This expression employs the noun end in the sense of “final cause or purpose,” a usage dating from the early 1500s.

Example Sentences

We have a moral aim only as our purpose coincides with some end-in-itself.

From Project Gutenberg