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purpose

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishpurpos, fromOld Frenchpurposer(“topropose”) (with conjugation altered based onposer), fromLatinprō-(“forth”) +pōnere(“place, put”), henceLatinprōpōnō, prōpōnere.

Noun

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purpose (countable anduncountable,pluralpurposes)

  1. Theend for which something isdone, ismade orexists.
    Synonym:end
    What is thepurpose of your visit?
    The device can be used for both civilian and militarypurposes.
    • 2013 June 7,Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, inThe Guardian Weekly, volume188, number26, page 6:
      In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensivepurposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
  2. Function,role.
    The exceptionally small gate-leg table served thepurpose of a tea table admirably.
    • 1846, William Benjamin Carpenter,Elements of Physiology: Including Physiological Anatomy, for the Use of the Medical Student, page281:
      Thepurpose of the gall-bladder is obviously to permit the accumulation of bile, when it is not wanted in the intestine; and we find it most constantly present in those tribes of animals, which live upon animal food
    • 1982, Lloyd C. Olson,Virus Infections: Modern Concepts and Status, volume49, page 2:
      As with all life forms, the solepurpose of a virus is to ensure reproduction in kind.
    • 2009, John Kricher,The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, page18:
      Is it thepurpose of mosquitoes to ultimately provide calories to large birds of prey?
    • 2011, Stephen Denning,The Secret Language of Leadership, page254:
      Thepurpose of the dance is to attract attention to the returning worker bee so she can share the odor of the nectar with other workers who will then follow the odor trail to the source.
    • 2020, Charles Schaper,Design of DNA, Genetic Codes, and Life Function, page 4:
      Furthermore, since thepurpose of DNA is to translate to proteins, a valid solution on its origin needs to describe the mechanism by which the complementary base pairs map to amino acids.
  3. (Sense of having a) meaning for existing or doing something.
    Synonym:meaning
    • 2011 October 1, Sarah Jobe,Creating with God: The Holy Confusing Blessedness of Being Pregnant, Paraclete Press,→ISBN:
      Before being hospitalized, Thea filled her days with work that gave her lifepurpose. Whether it was teaching, writing, or investing in relationships, Thea was busily and actively engaged in activity that she could feel good about.
    • 2015, Donna Kauffman,Snowflake Bay, Zebra Books,→ISBN, page338:
      This place gave himpurpose, gave him joy. It was both his life and his lifeline and she was both thrilled and relieved that he'd recovered enough to be able to maintain the place.
    • 2016 January 8, Marian de Souza,Spirituality in Education in a Global, Pluralised World, Routledge,→ISBN:
      A sense of belonging helps to ground the individual by providing a particular way of being in the world which, in turn, helps individuals to make meaning of their life experiences and gives them a sense ofpurpose, including a sense of responsibility to the group to which one belongs.
    • 2021 August 13, O. Curtis Jackson,TEN TIMES OVER, Writers Republic LLC,→ISBN:
      He wanted her to know that she gave himpurpose, gave him the will to live after he lost Kaylah. He wanted her to know that, no, the diamond wasn't precious enough to symbolize how much he cherished her breath, […]
  4. Resolution;determination.
    • 1620,Giovanni Bocaccio, translated byJohn Florio,The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen‎[1], Isaac Iaggard, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day:
      […]purſued his vnneighbourlypurpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.
    • 1834,L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, inFrancesca Carrara. […], volume I, London:Richard Bentley, […], (successor toHenry Colburn),→OCLC,page190:
      Perhaps you have heard that there was once somepurpose of marriage between the Duc de Joyeuse and myself; it is of that which I have to tell.
    • 2013 September 1, Phil McNulty,BBC Sport:
      United began with morepurpose in the early phase of the second half and Liverpool were grateful for Glen Johnson's crucial block from Young's goalbound shot.
    • 2013 July-August,Sarah Glaz, “Ode to Prime Numbers”, inAmerican Scientist, volume101, number 4:
      Some poems, echoing thepurpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.
  5. (obsolete) Thesubject ofdiscourse; the point atissue.
    • 1598–1599 (first performance),William Shakespeare,Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] forAndrew Wise, andWilliam Aspley, published1600,→OCLC,[Act II, scene iii]:
      […]he was woont to ſpeake plaine, and to thepurpoſe (like an honeſt man and a ſouldier)[…]
    • 1711 July 31 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison;Richard Steeleet al.], “FRIDAY, July 20, 1711”, inThe Spectator, number122; republished inAlexander Chalmers, editor,The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.:D[aniel] Appleton & Company,1853,→OCLC,page151:
      The speech he made was so little to thepurpose, that I shall not trouble my Readers with an account of it; and I believe was not so much designed by the Knight himself to inform the Court, as to give him a figure in my eye […]
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1770, Christof Hermann von Manstein,Memoirs of Russia, Historical, Political and Military, from the Year MDCCXXVII to MDCCXLIV, page267:
      The duke was restless and thoughtful the whole evening, often changed the discourse; like an absent man; and abruptly, quite from thepurpose; asked the marshal, "If in his military expeditions, he had ever undertaken any affair of consequence in the night."
    • 1817, Legh Richmond,A Selection from the Writings of the Reformers and Early Protestant Divines of the Church of England, page296:
      But now, forasmuch as you have stopt up a few shards in these your last tedious commentaries, though very hardly and quite from thepurpose, […]
Synonyms
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Hyponyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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end for which something is done, is made or exists
intention
determination
subject of discourse
reason for doing something
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2

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FromMiddle Englishpurposen, fromOld Frenchpurposer(“to propose”).

Verb

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purpose (third-person singular simple presentpurposes,present participlepurposing,simple past and past participlepurposed)

  1. (transitive) To have or set as one's purpose or aim;resolve toaccomplish;intend;plan.
    • 1485 –Thomas Malory.Le Morte Darthur, Book X, Chapter xxxvi,leaf 235v
      Soo was Alysanderpurposed to ryde to london by the coūceille of sire Tristram to syre Launcelot /
      "So was Alisanderpurposed to ride to London, by the counsel of Sir Tristram, to Sir Launcelot."
    • 1761, Henry Brooke,The Tryal of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, page139:
      Our gracious Ancestors, however,purposed Nothing, against these their ancient and implacable Enemies, save what was necessary and indispensable, with respect to their own Preservation.
    • 1849,Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter I, inThe History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London:Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans,→OCLC,page 1:
      Ipurpose to write the history of England from the accession of King James the Second down to a time which is within the memory of men still living.
    • 1853, John Bradford, Aubrey Townsend,The Writings of John Bradford, Banner of Truth, page52:
      […] and because you look not to hear of your well-doing of man, I ampurposed to pass it over with silence, and to give myself presently to that which is more profitable unto you; […]
    • 1883,A. E. Housman,Fragment of a Greek Tragedy:
      ERIPHYLE: He splits my skull, not in a friendly way,
      Once more: hepurposes to kill me dead.
      CHORUS: I would not be reputed rash, but yet
      I doubt if all be gay within the house.
    • 2011 September 7, Joni Eareckson Tada,Glorious Intruder: God's Presence in Life's Chaos, Multnomah,→ISBN, page123:
      Whatever you would call "suffering" in your own life, God has allowed it. Evenpurposed it. Don't you dare think you can't handle it! First Corinthians 10:13 promises that you can not only handle it, but glorify God in it.
  2. (intransitive) To have (an) intention, purpose, or design; to intend; to mean.
  3. (obsolete, intransitive) Todiscourse.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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have set as one's purpose; intend
passive: design for some purpose

References

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Middle English

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Noun

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purpose

  1. alternative form ofporpeys
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