Purposeless: meaning, definitions and examples

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purposeless

 

[ หˆpษœหrpษ™slษ™s ]

Adjective / Adverb
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or action

Having no clear aim or goal; lacking purpose or direction.

Synonyms

aimless, directionless, goalless, meaningless.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
purposeless

Used when something or someone lacks a clear purpose or goal. Can imply a sense of futility or lack of direction.

  • His actions seemed purposeless after the project was canceled.
  • She felt her job was purposeless and decided to quit.
aimless

Describes wandering or actions without a specific aim or direction. Often used to describe movement or activities that lack a clear destination.

  • They wandered the streets aimless, unsure of what to do next.
  • His study habits were aimless, leading to poor results.
directionless

Refers to a lack of clear direction or guidance. Can describe people feeling lost or uncertain about their future or activities.

  • After graduating, she felt directionless and uncertain about her career.
  • The team struggled with directionless efforts and needed new leadership.
goalless

Emphasizes the absence of specific goals or objectives. Often used to describe individuals or teams that are not working towards a defined aim.

  • The athlete felt goalless after achieving his lifelong dream.
  • Their goalless approach made progress slow and uncertain.
meaningless

Indicates that something lacks meaning, significance, or value. Often carries a negative connotation of futility or insignificance.

  • His efforts felt meaningless in the face of so much opposition.
  • She found the routine tasks at work to be meaningless and unsatisfying.

Examples of usage

  • He wandered through life in a purposeless manner.
  • She felt purposeless after losing her job.
Context #2 | Adverb

action or behavior

In a way that lacks purpose or aim; aimlessly.

Synonyms

aimlessly, meaninglessly, pointlessly.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
purposeless

Used to describe an action or state where there is no clear purpose or goal. Often has a slightly negative connotation.

  • He wandered around the city purposeless, not knowing what to do next
  • Her life felt purposeless after the loss of her job
aimlessly

Used when someone is doing something without direction or a plan, typically in a more casual or carefree manner.

  • They walked aimlessly through the park, enjoying the day
  • He scrolled aimlessly through social media
meaninglessly

Used to describe something that lacks meaning or significance. It often carries a stronger negative connotation, suggesting futility or worthlessness.

  • The repetitive work felt meaninglessly boring to her
  • His apology sounded meaninglessly insincere
pointlessly

Used to highlight the futility of an action, emphasizing that there is no benefit or purpose. It generally has a negative connotation.

  • Arguing with him was pointlessly exhausting
  • They continued pointlessly digging, knowing they were not going to find anything

Examples of usage

  • He wandered purposelessly around the city.
  • She drifted purposelessly through her days.

Translations

Translations of the word "purposeless" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น sem propรณsito

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค‰เคฆเฅเคฆเฅ‡เคถเฅเคฏเคนเฅ€เคจ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช zwecklos

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ tanpa tujuan

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฑะตะทั†ั–ะปัŒะฝะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ bezcelowy

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ็›ฎ็š„ใฎใชใ„ (mokuteki no nai)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท sans but

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sin propรณsito

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท amaรงsฤฑz

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ชฉ์  ์—†๋Š” (mokjeok eomneun)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุจู„ุง ู‡ุฏู

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ bezรบฤelnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ bezcieฤพny

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ— ็›ฎ็š„็š„ (wรบ mรนdรฌ de)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ brezciljen

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ marklaus

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะผะฐา›ัะฐั‚ัั‹ะท

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฃแƒžแƒแƒกแƒฃแƒฎแƒ˜แƒกแƒ›แƒ’แƒ”แƒ‘แƒšแƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ mษ™qsษ™dsiz

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ sin propรณsito

Etymology

The word 'purposeless' originated in the early 19th century from the combination of the words 'purpose' and the suffix '-less', which denotes the absence or lack of something. It reflects the concept of lacking a clear aim or goal, and has been used to describe actions, feelings, or behaviors that lack direction or meaning.

See also: multipurpose, purposed, purposeful, purposefully, purposelessly, purposelessness, purposes, repurpose, repurposing.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #27,420, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.