Purposeless: meaning, definitions and examples

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purposeless

 

[ ˈpɜːrpəsləs ]

Adjective / Adverb
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or action

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

Synonyms

aimless, directionless, goalless, meaningless

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

Examples of usage

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

Translations

Translations of the word "purposeless" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sem propósito

🇮🇳 उद्देश्यहीन

🇩🇪 zwecklos

🇮🇩 tanpa tujuan

🇺🇦 безцільний

🇵🇱 bezcelowy

🇯🇵 目的のない (mokuteki no nai)

🇫🇷 sans but

🇪🇸 sin propósito

🇹🇷 amaçsız

🇰🇷 목적 없는 (mokjeok eomneun)

🇸🇦 بلا هدف

🇨🇿 bezúčelný

🇸🇰 bezcieľny

🇨🇳 无目的的 (wú mùdì de)

🇸🇮 brezciljen

🇮🇸 marklaus

🇰🇿 мақсатсыз

🇬🇪 უპასუხისმგებლო

🇦🇿 məqsədsiz

🇲🇽 sin propósito

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.