What does “purpose” mean?
- 1
nounthe reason why something is done, made or used
What is the purpose of your visit?
- 2
nouna feeling of having a goal or a reason for living
Volunteering gave her a sense of purpose.
Purpose at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈpɝpəs/ · PUR-pus
How to use “purpose” correctly
“On purpose” means deliberately: “He broke it on purpose.” Don’t say “by purpose” or “in purpose”.
Common phrases with “purpose”
- on purpose
- the purpose of
- for this purpose
- sense of purpose
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- purposeful
- purposely
“purpose” is on these word lists
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