purpose
Americannoun
-
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
-
prepurposeverb (used with object)
-
repurposeverb (used with object)
-
unpurposedadjective
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Many retirees struggle to find purpose or structure once they’re done with the routine of a traditional job, which can lead to loneliness and isolation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Does this fund serve an investment purpose, or is it a gamble?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Is it aliens we are seeking, “The Pineapple” begins to ask, or simply perhaps purpose?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The very purpose of a surrogacy agreement is for a surrogate to carry a child for the intended parents.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
It seems to be a waste of time and energy to have hundreds of men make a stone monument that serves no purpose except that it will be pleasant to look at.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
On Tuesday Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic with a warning, viewed by millions, that AI will soon be able to hack any system and mobilize “real power and resources” for malign purposes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The criteria includes someone being declared resident for tax purposes if they have lived in the UK for at least 183 days in the tax year.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Later analysis showed that Old Ancestors had intentionally placed the stone inside the cave for ritual purposes around 2,000 years ago.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
"These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes," it added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Hevelius was, however, happy to use telescopes for other purposes, such as mapping the moon, and eventually built a massive 150-footer.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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
The deal with Activision also means Microsoft will own its studio solely purposed for mobile games, with hopes of expanding on the successes of titles such as Candy Crush.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2023
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
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
Not, indeed, in the professed spirit of the martyr, not purposing the sacrifice, but for that very reason making it the more significant.
From The Galaxy, April, 1877 Vol. XXIII.—April, 1877.—No. 4. by Various
I’ve been purposing all along to have a Welsh rarebit and make some cloudbursts and I’m still going to do it.
From Molly Brown's College Friends by Nell Speed
We therefore very unwillingly left the disorder as we found it, purposing to devote time to the work afterward.
From The Swiss Family Robinson or, Adventures on a Desert Island by Jean Rudolph Wyss
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.
