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b
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: a subject under discussion or an action in course of execution
Synonyms
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.
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 WebAndy Hoglund, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
That modesty serves a strategic purpose, according to Raymond Kuo, who analyzes U.S.-China security issues for the Rand Corp. with a focus on Taiwan.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purpose 
Noun
The comedy equivalent of decades of scar tissue and cartilage, the show’s habits and superficial fan service increasingly challenge the entire purpose of being a live comedy show.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
That modesty serves a strategic purpose, according to Raymond Kuo, who analyzes U.S.-China security issues for the Rand Corp. with a focus on Taiwan.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purpose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purpose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purpose. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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