INDEX:
1. what you want to achieve when you do something
2. what something is intended to be used for
3. to be intended for a particular purpose
4. to decide to use someone or something for a particular purpose
5. without any purpose
RELATED WORDS
on purpose : ↑ DELIBERATELY
see also
↑ REASON
↑ IN ORDER TO
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1. what you want to achieve when you do something
▷ purpose /ˈpɜːʳpəs/ [countable noun]
the reason you do or plan something, and the thing you want to achieve when you do it :
▪ The games have an educational purpose.
purpose of
▪ The purpose of the experiment is to find better ways of treating battlefield wounds.
the main purpose
the most important purpose
▪ The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss who will be in the team.
somebody’s purpose in doing something
▪ My purpose in writing this book was to draw attention to the problem of global warming.
for the purpose of (doing) something
▪ There is no penalty if the quarterback deliberately throws the ball out of bounds for the purpose of stopping play.
for this/that purpose
▪ Read up on starting a small business. Loans can be obtained for this purpose.
▷ aim /eɪm/ [countable noun]
something you hope to achieve :
▪ Increasing student awareness of the issue is one of our aims.
political/business/economic etc aim
▪ Membership of NATO is one of the country’s long-term political aims.
the aim is to do something
▪ The organization’s aims are to provide food for homeless people and help them find somewhere to live.
▪ The aim was to enroll all children in schools close to their homes.
aim of
▪ The aim of the bombers was to destroy public property and get maximum publicity.
▷ point /pɔɪnt/ [singular noun]
the purpose of something that you are doing or planning - use this especially when someone does not understand what the purpose is :
point of
▪ The point of the experiment is to show how this chemical reacts with water.
the whole point
exactly the purpose of doing something
▪ The whole point of this TV show is to get you to buy Simmons’ exercise videos.
see the point of something
understand why someone does something
▪ I can’t see the point of travelling all that way and then only staying for one day.
miss the/somebody’s point
not understand why someone does something
▪ You’re missing my point completely - I’m not talking about restructuring the department
what’s the point?
use this when you think there is no good reason for something
▪ Too many of these kids think, ‘What’s the point of going to college?’
▷ idea /aɪˈdɪə/ [singular noun]
the effect or result that you hope to achieve by doing something - use this especially when you are doubtful whether that effect or result can be achieved :
▪ We make toys that are both fun and educational - at least that’s the idea.
the idea is to do something
▪ The idea of the centre was to provide a place where old people could go during the day.
the idea behind something
▪ The idea behind the commercials is that reading is as cool and entertaining as their favorite bands.
▷ objective /əbˈdʒektɪv/ [countable noun] formal
the thing that someone is trying to achieve, especially in business or politics :
▪ The report focused on three of the business’s objectives.
business/military/political objective
▪ State your business objectives clearly.
the objective is to do something
▪ The objective of this computer game is to design a city.
achieve an objective
▪ The President believes that all military objectives have been achieved.
main/primary objective
▪ The company’s main objective is to keep recyclable material out of landfills.
▷ object /ˈɒbdʒɪktǁˈɑːb-/ [singular noun]
the intended result of a plan, action, or activity, especially when this may be difficult to achieve :
the object is to do something
▪ In this game the object is to score as many points as you can in the time given.
object of
▪ The object of the search was to find a small plane that has been missing for two days.
the object of the exercise
the object of whatever you are doing
▪ The object of the exercise is to keep kids in school, rather than let them leave without graduating.
▷ goal /gəʊl/ [countable noun]
what a person, organization, or country hopes to achieve in the future, even though this might take quite a long time :
▪ School children have definite goals towards which they can work.
the goal is to do something
▪ Her goal is to find a company willing to donate money for research.
goal of
▪ The goal of the partnership is to improve his company’s profit margin.
reach/meet a goal
▪ The Red Cross has reached its goal of raising $1.6 million for relief.
▷ target /ˈtɑːʳgɪt, ˈtɑːʳgət/ [countable noun]
the exact result that a person or organization intends to achieve by doing something, often the amount of money they want to get :
▪ The target for the appeal is £20,000, all of which will go to children’s charities.
▪ Our target is the release of all political prisoners.
meet/reach/achieve a target
▪ The government is struggling to reach its original target of $23 billion in spending cuts.
target [adjective only before noun]
▪ The magazine has a target readership of half a million people its target is half a million readers .
▷ end /end/ [countable noun]
the result that a person or group is trying to achieve, especially when this is bad or dishonest :
political/personal etc ends
▪ Racial tensions in Fiji were exaggerated for political ends by leaders of the opposition.
the end does not justify the means
the way that someone tries to achieve something is wrong, even if what they want to achieve is good
▪ The demonstrators’ ends do not justify their means.
2. what something is intended to be used for
▷ be for /biː ˈfɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be intended to be used for a particular purpose :
▪ This machine is for cleaning the carpet.
▪ What’s this little button for?
▪ These shoes are for running, and these are for sports such as basketball.
▷ function /ˈfʌŋkʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
the purpose that a machine, tool, or piece of equipment is made for :
▪ Each basket is designed to perform a specific function, from carrying corn to holding babies.
function of
▪ Several instructors could not answer questions about the function of a particular switch.
▪ The function of this gene is to block the uncontrolled division of cells; it therefore prevents the development of cancer.
▷ use /juːs/ [countable noun]
a purpose that a machine, tool, plant etc can have :
▪ It’s main use is as a cleaning agent for metals.
▪ Technology developed for the space program has civilian uses as well.
3. to be intended for a particular purpose
▷ to be meant/supposed to do something /biː ˌment, səˌpəʊzd tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase]
to be done or made for a particular purpose, especially when the purpose is not achieved :
▪ His artworks are meant to cause debate.
▪ The police opened the package and found not a bomb, but a wallet meant to be someone’s gift.
▪ Thirty percent of the lottery ticket sales was supposed to go to education.
▷ be intended to do something /biː ɪnˌtendə̇d tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase]
to be done or made for a particular purpose :
▪ The concert is intended to raise money for charity.
▪ I didn’t think the movie was as dramatic as it was intended to be.
▷ be designed to do something /biː dɪˌzaɪnd tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase]
to be made in a specific way in order to achieve a particular result :
▪ The menu was designed to appeal to both children and adults.
▪ Democrats say the law is designed to help only wealthy taxpayers.
▷ with the aim of doing something /wɪð ði ˌeɪm əv ˈduːɪŋ something/ [preposition]
if something is done with the aim of achieving something, it is done in order to try and achieve it :
▪ The center does research with the aim of improving the lives of poor Americans.
▪ The committee will reform the tests, with the aim of better evaluating student performance.
with the express/deliberate etc aim of doing something
▪ We ask students to write essays under examination conditions, with the deliberate aim of familiarizing them with these conditions.
4. to decide to use someone or something for a particular purpose
▷ designate /ˈdezɪgneɪt/ [transitive verb]
to officially choose someone or something for a particular purpose, often with the result that they cannot be used for anything else :
▪ Designate a driver who won’t be drinking before going to a party or club.
designate somebody/something as something
▪ Mattos Elementary has been designated as this area’s ‘home’ school.
designate somebody/something for somebody/something
▪ One of the queues was designated for people with an EC passport.
designate somebody/something to do something
▪ $6 million has been designated to make road safety improvements on Pacheco Pass.
▷ earmark /ˈɪəʳmɑːʳk/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to choose someone or something from among a larger group so that they can be used for a particular purpose in the future :
earmark somebody/something for something
▪ 20% of the budget has already been earmarked for a new computer system.
earmark somebody/something to do something
▪ The funds are earmarked to help pay for the cathedral’s renovation.
earmark somebody/something as something
▪ Dawson was earmarked as Reiner’s successor as District Attorney.
5. without any purpose
▷ pointless /ˈpɔɪntləs/ [adjective]
something that is pointless has no purpose and makes you angry or sad :
▪ a film full of pointless violence
▪ Never give your students pointless exercises to do -- always provide interesting, meaningful tasks.
be pointless to do something
▪ It is pointless to argue about who is more to blame.
▷ aimless /ˈeɪmləs/ [adjective]
not having any purpose or plan and therefore boring or sad :
▪ The novel seems aimless, and the characters are stereotypes.
▪ She changed from an aimless, pregnant teenager into a purposeful young woman.
aimlessly [adverb]
▪ John wandered aimlessly all day and returned to his gloomy room in the evening.
▷ senseless /ˈsensləs/ [adjective]
a crime or something bad that is senseless seems to have no meaning or purpose and you cannot understand why someone would do it :
▪ It was a senseless and cruel murder.
▪ Smashing up trains is such a senseless form of vandalism.
▪ The suicide was described as a senseless waste of a young woman’s life.
senselessly [adverb]
▪ How could you jeopardize your career so senselessly?
senselessness [uncountable noun]
▪ The public was shocked by the senselessness of the crime.
▷ meaningless /ˈmiːnɪŋləs/ [adjective]
without any meaning or purpose and therefore boring, sad, or having no effect :
▪ a meaningless campaign pledge
▪ So many of us spend our lives doing meaningless work in huge faceless companies.
▪ Several companies dismissed the ruling as ‘meaningless,’ saying it would have no effect on their operations.
▷ lack direction [verb phrase] also lack of direction [noun phrase] /ˌlæk də̇ˈrekʃ ə n, ˌlæk əv də̇ˈrekʃ ə n/
if something lacks direction or has a lack of direction, it does not have a clear purpose and is not well organized :
▪ It could have been a good film, but I felt it lacked direction.
▪ He quit over the company’s lack of direction.