purposeless

American

[pur-puhs-lis] / ˈpɜr pəs lɪs /

adjective

having no purpose or apparent meaning.
having no aim or goal; aimless.

to lead a purposeless existence.

purposeless British

/ ˈpɜːpəslɪs /

adjective

having no fixed plan or intention

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

purposelessly adverb
purposelessness noun

Etymology

Origin of purposeless

First recorded in 1545–55; purpose + -less

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.

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

She is back in her teenage clothes — back in her teenage life, feeling purposeless without Elvis' presence telling her what to do or feel.

From Salon • Nov. 10, 2023

The indirection is not purposeless; Edelman is building the service roads to his main argument.

From New York Times • Jun. 26, 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

Approached in the dark the swaying bulbs looked lonely and purposeless.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023