purpose

n. goal, aim; intention, objective

v. intend, plan, design, aim

Purpose in its most general sense is the anticipated aim which guides action. It is used as the synonym of goal and objective.
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Noun
1. an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; "his intent was to provide a new translation"; "good intentions are not enough"; "it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs"; "he made no secret of his designs"
(synonym) intent, intention, aim, design
(hypernym) goal, end
(hyponym) mind, idea
(derivation) aim, purport, propose
2. what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"
(synonym) function, role, use
(hypernym) utility, usefulness
(hyponym) raison d'etre
(attribute) functional
3. the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; "his determination showed in his every movement"; "he is a man of purpose"
(synonym) determination
(hypernym) resoluteness, firmness, resolve, resolution
(hyponym) doggedness, perseverance, persistence, persistency, tenacity, tenaciousness, pertinacity
(derivation) resolve
Verb
1. propose or intend; "I aim to arrive at noon"
(synonym) aim, purport, propose
(hypernym) intend, mean, think
(derivation) determination
2. reach a decision; "he resolved never to drink again"
(synonym) resolve
(hypernym) decide, make up one's mind, determine
(derivation) determination

(v. t.)
To set forth; to bring forward.
  

(v. t.)
To propose, as an aim, to one's self; to determine upon, as some end or object to be accomplished; to intend; to design; to resolve; -- often followed by an infinitive or dependent clause.
  

(v. i.)
To have a purpose or intention; to discourse.
  

(n.)
That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion; view; aim; design; intention; plan.
  

(n.)
Proposal to another; discourse.
  

(n.)
Instance; example.
  

Synonyms and related words:
advantage, aim, aim at, ambition, animus, aspiration, aspire, aspire after, aspire to, avail, be after, benefit, by design, commitment, conclude, consciously, consider, contemplate, counsel, decide, decidedness, decision, decisiveness, dedication, definiteness, deliberately, deliberateness, deliberation, desideration, desideratum, design, designedly, desire, destination, destine, determinateness, determination, determine, determinedness, devotion, direction, doggedness, drive, drive at, duty, earnestness, effect, end, end use, especially, exactly, expressly, firmness, fix, fixed purpose, function, gain, go for, goal, good, harbor a design, have every intention, have in mind, have in view, idea, immediate purpose, in particular, intend, intendment, intent, intention, intentionally, knowingly, long, mark, mean, meaning, meditate, mind, mission, motivation, motive, nisus, object, objective, obstinacy, office, on purpose, operation, operational purpose, outcome, perseverance, persistence, plan, point, ponder, practicality, precisely, principle, profit, project, proposal, propose, proposition, prospectus, purport, purposefulness, purposely, rationale, reason, relentlessness, resoluteness, resolution, resolve, resolvedness, result, role, sake, scheme, seal, self-will, seriousness, settle, sincerity, single-mindedness, specially, specifically, steadfastness, striving, stubbornness, study, take a resolution, target, tenacity, think, total commitment, ultimate purpose, use, usefulness, utility, view, will, wittingly, work, yearn