purposeless

American  

[pur-puhs-lis] / ˈpɜr pəs lɪs /

adjective

1. having no purpose or apparent meaning.

2. having no aim or goal; aimless.

   to lead a purposeless existence.

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purposeless British  

/ ˈpɜːpəslɪs /

adjective

1. having no fixed plan or intention

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Other Word Forms

• purposelessly adverb
• purposelessness noun

Etymology

Origin of purposeless

First recorded in 1545–55; purpose + -less

Example Sentences

“So, in a way, my life seems purposeless now,” Wright continues.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

Meanwhile Kendall has become, in every sense of the word, purposeless now that the competition has finished and he has lost.

From Salon • May 30, 2023

In a crisis of this magnitude, finding the emotional space to care about a single death can feel purposeless, unnecessary.

From The Guardian • May 2, 2020

They’ve come to perceive themselves as dispensable, uncared-for, purposeless.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2020

Seeing Miss Perumal again would be nice, but he would be in the same pickle as before: out of place among the other children, purposeless and lonely.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart