Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - purpose

(purposes) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. The purpose of something is the reason for which it is made or done. The purpose of the occasion was to raise money for medical supplies... Various insurance schemes already exist for this purpose. ...the use of nuclear energy for military purposes... He was asked about casualties, but said it would serve no purpose to count bodies... = aim N-COUNT: with supp 2. Your purpose is the thing that you want to achieve. They might well be prepared to do you harm in order to achieve their purpose... His purpose was to make a profit by improving the company’s performance. = aim, objective N-COUNT: with poss 3. Purpose is the feeling of having a definite aim and of being determined to achieve it. The teachers are enthusiastic and have a sense of purpose. N-UNCOUNT 4. see also cross-purposes 5. You use for all practical purposes or to all intents and purposes to suggest that a situation is not exactly as you describe it, but the effect is the same as if it were. For all practical purposes the treaty has already ceased to exist... = in effect PHRASE: PHR with cl 6. If you do something on purpose, you do it intentionally. Was it an accident or did David do it on purpose? = intentionally PHRASE: PHR after v