/'pɜ:pəs; `pɝpəs/
n
1 [C] thing that one intends to do, get, be, etc; intention 目的; 意图
*What is the purpose of the meeting? 这会议的目的是什么?
* What is your purpose in going to Canada? 你到加拿大干什么去?
* Getting rich seems to be her only purpose in life. 她生活的唯一目的似乎是发财.
2 [U] (fml 文) ability to form plans and carry them out; determination 意志; 毅力; 决心
*Her approach to the job lacks purpose. 她干这项工作缺乏毅力.
3 (idm 习语) for practical purposes => practical. on `purpose not by accident; intentionally 并非偶然地; 故意地
*`Did he break it accidentally?' `No, on purpose.' ｀他是无意中损坏的吗?＇｀不, 是故意的.＇
* She seems to do these things on purpose. 她似乎是有意地做这些事. serve one's/the `purpose (fml 文) do what is necessary or required
*be satisfactory 适合需要; 适合要求; 令人满意
*We have found a meeting-place that will serve our purpose. 我们找到了一个很合适的会址. to little/no/some `purpose (fml 文) with little/no/some result or effect 几乎徒劳地[毫无成效地/有一定效果地]
*Money has been invested in the scheme to very little purpose. 资金已投入那计画中却几无成效.

v [Tt, Tg] (dated 旧) intend 有意; 打算
*They purpose making/to make a further attempt. 他们有意做进一步的尝试.

n

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1
2 purposes
3
4 on purpose
5【feeling】
6 for all practical purposes
7 serve its purpose
8 defeat the purpose
9 to no purpose
10 to the purpose

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[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French;Origin: purpos, from purposer 'to intend', from Latin proponere; PROPOUND]
[C usually singular]
the purpose of something is what it is intended to achieve
purpose of
　The purpose of this meeting is to elect a new chairman.
　What is the purpose of your visit?
the purpose of doing sth
　The purpose of conducting a business is to make money.
for/with the purpose of doing sth
　Troops were sent solely for the purpose of assisting refugees.
　He came here with the purpose of carrying out the attack.
sole/primary/main etc purpose
　The protection of children is the primary purpose of this legislation.
purposes [plural]
the reasons that explain why something is needed or why it is considered in a particular way
　Several of the items had religious purposes .
for medical/political/decorative etc purposes
　It should be legitimate to use cannabis for medical purposes.
　For tax purposes , you will be treated as a married couple.
　The details are, for the present purposes , irrelevant.
for the purposes of sth
　For the purposes of this book, America is taken to include the continent north of Mexico.
[C]
a plan or aim
　Nick had no particular purpose in mind when he started.
sb's purpose in doing sth
　Attending the race was not my purpose in coming to Indianapolis.
serve a purpose
(=achieve a particular aim)
　It would serve no useful purpose to re-open the investigation.
on purpose
deliberately
do sth on purpose
　You make it sound as if I did it on purpose!
【FEELING】[U]
a feeling of determination to achieve things in life
　It's so important to have a sense of purpose that underlies human happiness
　My football career was over and I had no purpose in life .
　He possessed great strength of purpose .
for all practical purposesalsoto all intents and purposes
used to say that something is so close to the truth that it can be considered to be the truth
　The war, to all intents and purposes, was over.
　We have a Secretary of State for Scotland who is for all practical purposes a Scottish Prime Minister.
serve its purpose
if something has served its purpose, it has done what you needed it to do
　We delete the data once it has served its purpose.
defeat the purpose
to fail to achieve the result you want
　Anxiety will cause tension, which defeats the purpose of the exercise (=the activity or plan) .
to no purpose
formal without any useful results
　She called after them, but to no purpose.
to the purpose
old-fashioned useful or helpful
→purposely, cross-purposes