purpose

1 of 2

noun

pur·​pose ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce purpose (audio)
1
a
: something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention
2
: a subject under discussion or an action in course of execution

purpose

2 of 2

verb

purposed; purposing

transitive verb

: to propose as an aim to oneself
Phrases
on purpose
: by intent : intentionally
Choose the Right Synonym for purpose

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain.

intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

Examples of purpose in a Sentence

Noun Shocking as it is, more than a month after the hurricane hit, New Orleans is still, for all practical purposes, a ghost town. Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
By the time … American aid began pouring in, to all intents and purposes the war had already been lost. Neil L. Jamieson, Understanding Vietnam, 1993
But wartime wage and price controls prevented companies from competing for the available talent by means of increased salaries. They had to compete with fringe benefits instead, and free health insurance was tailor-made for this purpose. John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, May - June 1992
His purpose is to realize himself, to live the fullest possible life, and he is responsible for this, like all men, regardless of how society treats him. Shelby Steele, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 1990
The purpose of the new resort is to attract more tourists. The loans are small but they serve a good purpose. Sometimes his life seemed to lack purpose or meaning. We started work again with a renewed sense of purpose. Verb I have not purposed to misrepresent this boy in any way, for what little indignation he excited in me soon passed and left nothing behind it but compassion. Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad, 1880
The child then explained that they had left the races on the first day, and were travelling to the next town on that road, where they purposed to spend the night. Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1841
I've been purposing to fix that thing for some time now.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Neither Harris’ office nor Walz’s governor’s office replied to a request for comment, so for the purposes of this valuation, Forbes estimated the present value of one teaching pension for each of them and treated the other line item as cash. Kyle Khan-Mullins, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The political purpose of captagon, the Saudi official said, a bit melodramatically, was to tear at the social fabric of his country, and thereby slow down its progress. Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 Though Connecticut currently only allows mail-in voting for absentee purposes, a measure that will pave the way for no-excuse absentee voting will be on the ballot. Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024 Fit Fit is crucial not only for comfort purposes but also for optimal noise isolation. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for purpose 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English purpos, from Anglo-French, from purposer to intend, propose, from Latin proponere (perfect indicative proposui) to propose — more at propound

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purpose was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near purpose

Cite this Entry

“Purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purpose. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

purpose

noun
pur·​pose
ˈpər-pəs
1
: something set up as an end to be attained
2
: an object or result achieved
worked to little purpose
purposeful
-fəl
adjective
purposefully
-fə-lē
adverb
purposefulness
-fəl-nəs
noun
purposeless
-pəs-ləs
adjective

Legal Definition

purpose

noun
pur·​pose ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce purpose (audio)
: an objective, effect, or result aimed at or attained
specifically : the business activity in which a corporation is chartered to engage
purposeful adjective
purposefully adverb
purposefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on purpose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!