purpose
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)purposes
- an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions“his intent was to provide a new translation”“good intentions are not enough”“it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs”“he made no secret of his designs”Synonyms: intentintentionaimdesignType of goal, endKinds will, view, mind, cross-purpose, final cause, sake
- what something is used for“the function of an auger is to bore holes”“ballet is beautiful but what use is it?”Synonyms: functionroleuseType of utility, usefulnessKinds raison d'etreAttribute of functional, nonfunctional
- the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose“his determination showed in his every movement”“he is a man of purpose”Synonyms: determinationType of resoluteness, firmnessKinds doggedness, diligence, indefatigability
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun aim, reason for doing something
- Spanish
- propósito
- French
- but
- German
- Zweck
- Italian
- scopo
- Portuguese
- propósito
- Turkish
- maksat
- Russian
- цель celʹ
- Arabic
- هَدَف hadaf
- Chinese
- 目的 mùdì
- Japanese
- 目的 mokuteki
27 more languages
- Dutch
- doel
- Polish
- cel
- Swedish
- avsikt
- Greek
- σκοπός skopós
- Korean
- 목적 mokjeok
- Indonesian
- tujuan
- Vietnamese
- mục đích
- Hungarian
- cél
- Portuguese (PT)
- propósito
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 目的 mùdì
- Catalan
- propòsit
- Czech
- účel
- Danish
- mål
- Estonian
- eesmärk
- Finnish
- tarkoitus
- Georgian
- მიზანი mizani
- Hebrew
- מַטָּרָה matará
- Icelandic
- tilgangur
- Latvian
- nolūks
- Lithuanian
- tikslas
- Malagasy
- tanjona
- Norwegian
- mål
- Romanian
- scop
- Scottish Gaelic
- rùn
- Slovak
- účel
- Slovenian
- cilj
- Yiddish
- צוועק tsvek
Noun intention, resolve
- Spanish
- propósito
- French
- intention
- German
- Absicht
- Italian
- intenzione
- Portuguese
- intenção
- Russian
- наме́рение namérenije
- Arabic
- نِيَّة niyya
- Japanese
- 意図 ito
- Dutch
- intentie
- Polish
- intencja
Noun reason for doing something
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OF. purpos, pourpos, propos, L. propositum. See Propound.
1. That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion; view; aim; design; intention; plan.
He will his firste purpos modify.— Geoffrey Chaucer
As my eternal purpose hath decreed.— John Milton
The flighty purpose never is o'ertook Unless the deed go with it.— William Shakespeare
2. Proposal to another; discourse. obsolete Edmund Spenser
3. Instance; example. obsolete Sir Roger L'Estrange
In purpose, Of purpose, On purpose, with previous design; with the mind directed to that object; intentionally. On purpose is the form now generally used.
Synonyms: design; end; intention; aim. See Design.
Origin: OF. purposer, proposer. See Propose.
1. To set forth; to bring forward. obsolete
2. To propose, as an aim, to one's self; to determine upon, as some end or object to be accomplished; to intend; to design; to resolve; — often followed by an infinitive or dependent clause. Geoffrey Chaucer
Did nothing purpose against the state.— William Shakespeare
I purpose 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.— Thomas Babington Macaulay
To have a purpose or intention; to discourse. obsolete Edmund Spenser
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54