Purpose Meaning
/ˈpɝpəs/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe end for which something is done, is made or exists.
nounFunction, role.
Sentence Examples
Many people drift through life without a purpose.
Despite the importance of sleep, its purpose is a mystery.
Our campaign's main purpose is to raise money.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The organizers planned every detail with a clear ____, which was to raise money for charity.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The charity was established with the clear ____ of providing education to children in conflict zones.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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 offensive purposes 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."
— 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
"The purpose 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"
— 1846, William Benjamin Carpenter, Elements of Physiology: Including Physiological Anatomy, for the Use of the Medical Student, page 281:
"As with all life forms, the sole purpose of a virus is to ensure reproduction in kind."
— 1982, Lloyd C. Olson, Virus Infections: Modern Concepts and Status, volume 49, page 2:
"Is it the purpose of mosquitoes to ultimately provide calories to large birds of prey?"
— 2009, John Kricher, The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, page 18:
"The purpose 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."
— 2011, Stephen Denning, The Secret Language of Leadership, page 254:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The organizers planned every detail with a clear ____, which was to raise money for charity.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The charity was established with the clear ____ of providing education to children in conflict zones.