purpose

A2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈpɝpəs/ UK /ˈpɜːpəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #1672

Meanings

1

noun
The reason why something is done or made.

What is the purpose of your visit?
2

noun
A feeling that your life has meaning and direction.

Helping others gave her life a real sense of purpose.
3

noun
The job or role that something does.

The small table served the purpose of a desk very well.
4

verb
To intend or plan to do something.

He purposed to finish the project before the holidays.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the reason why something is... aim point end

2 noun · a feeling that your life... meaning

3 noun · the job or role that... function

4 verb · to intend or plan to do... intend mean plan

More goal intention object target

Word family

Forms purposedpurposespurposing

Derived forms all-purposeapurposeby-purposecross-purposedispurposedual-purposeforepurposegeneral-purposemispurposemulti-purposemultipurposepurpose-built

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Idioms (1)

See all

to all intents and purposes
in every way that matters in practice; effectively

Etymology

From Middle English purpos, from Old French purposer (“to propose”) (with conjugation altered based on poser), from Latin prō- (“forth”) + pōnere (“place, put”), hence Latin prōpōnō, prōpōnere. By surface analysis, pur- + pose (“halt, pause, put, place”).

purpos Middle English purposer Old French prō- Latin propono Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# purpose

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɝpəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɜːpəs/
**Frequency rank:** 1672

## Meanings
1. The reason why something is done or made.
2. A feeling that your life has meaning and direction.
3. The job or role that something does.
4. To intend or plan to do something.

## Examples
- What is the purpose of your visit?
- Helping others gave her life a real sense of purpose.
- The small table served the purpose of a desk very well.
- He purposed to finish the project before the holidays.

## Synonyms
- goal
- intention
- object
- plan
- target

## Derived Forms
- all-purpose
- apurpose
- by-purpose
- cross-purpose
- dispurpose
- dual-purpose
- forepurpose
- general-purpose
- mispurpose
- multi-purpose
- multipurpose
- purpose-built

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: purpos
- Root: purposer
- Root: prō-
- Root: propono

## Etymology
From Middle English purpos, from Old French purposer (“to propose”) (with conjugation altered based on poser), from Latin prō- (“forth”) + pōnere (“place, put”), hence Latin prōpōnō, prōpōnere. By surface analysis, pur- + pose (“halt, pause, put, place”).

## AI Etymology
Purpose comes from Middle English purpos, from Old French purposer (“to propose”) (with conjugation altered based on poser), from Latin prō- (“forth”) + pōnere (“place, put”), hence Latin prōpōnō, prōpōnere. By surface analysis, pur- + pose (“halt, pause, put, place”). In present-day English it covers the reason why something is done or made, a feeling that your life has meaning and direction, and the job or role that something does. The wider family includes derived forms such as all-purpose, apurpose, by-purpose, cross-purpose, dispurpose.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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