{
    "term": "purpose",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the intention, aim or function of something; the thing that something is supposed to achieve",
            "sensetop": "for the purpose of doing somethingfor the purpose of somethingwith the purpose of doing somethingpurpose for something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Our campaign's **main purpose** is to raise money."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The plan achieved its **primary purpose**, if nothing else."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The purpose of the book is to provide a complete guide to the university."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Giving too much advance notice would **defeat the purpose** of the inspection."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A meeting was called for the purpose of appointing a new treasurer.",
                    "contextForm": "for the purpose of doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I moved to London for the **sole purpose** of working with her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have included this data for the purpose of comparison.",
                    "contextForm": "for the purpose of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This project was launched with the purpose of increasing the number of visitors to the region.",
                    "contextForm": "with the purpose of doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I could find no **practical purpose** for this app.",
                    "contextForm": "purpose for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The space station **serves** several **purposes**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The experiments **serve no useful purpose** *(= are not useful)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The school was founded with the express purpose of teaching deaf children to speak."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a measure introduced for the purpose of protecting the interests of investors"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I put the chair there for a purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a toy with the dual purpose of entertaining and developing memory skills"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The old mill has been put to good purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the view that art should serve a social purpose"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The same information can be put to many purposes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The roots and leaves are used for medicinal purposes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He did not want anything to distract him from his purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She saw being a doctor as her purpose in life."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["limited", "chief", "main"],
                "verb + purpose": ["have", "lack", "accomplish"],
                "preposition": ["for a/​the purpose", "on purpose"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at cross purposes",
                    "for the express purpose of something",
                    "with the express purpose of something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "what is needed in a particular situation",
            "sensetop": "for… purposesfor the purposes of something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These gifts count as income for **tax purposes**.",
                    "contextForm": "for… purposes"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The building was originally used for **commercial purposes**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "For the purposes of this study, the three groups have been combined.",
                    "contextForm": "for the purposes of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "For comparative purposes, the populations of three other cities are also shown."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's assume he knows, for the purposes of our argument."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You will need to have the vehicle valued for insurance purposes."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "meaning that is important and valuable to you",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Volunteer work gives her life a **sense of purpose**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He believes he has finally found a **purpose in life**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Encouraged by her example, they all set to work with a fresh sense of purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a group of individuals sharing a common purpose"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Teachers need to give a purpose to the activities and assignments they give to students."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["limited", "chief", "main"],
                "verb + purpose": ["have", "lack", "accomplish"],
                "preposition": ["for a/​the purpose", "on purpose"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at cross purposes",
                    "for the express purpose of something",
                    "with the express purpose of something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "the ability to plan something and work successfully to achieve it",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He has enormous confidence and **strength of purpose**."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "determination",
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["limited", "chief", "main"],
                "verb + purpose": ["have", "lack", "accomplish"],
                "preposition": ["for a/​the purpose", "on purpose"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at cross purposes",
                    "for the express purpose of something",
                    "with the express purpose of something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "(of an institution, a system, a thing, etc.) suitable for the function or purpose that it was designed for",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The minister argued that the education system wasn’t fit for purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The new executive flats are fully equipped and fit for purpose."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I returned the goods as they weren’t fit for purpose."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when you are stating what the reality of a situation is",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There's still another ten minutes of the game to go, but for practical purposes it's already over."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "not by accident; deliberately",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I did it on purpose, knowing it would annoy her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He slammed the door on purpose."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "in the effects that something has, if not in reality; almost completely",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "By 1981 the docks had, to all intents and purposes, closed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The two items are, for all intents and purposes, identical."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "with little/no useful effect or result",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The government had spent a lot on education but to little or no purpose."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpɜːpəs/",
                "audio": "pu/purpose/purpose__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpɜːrpəs/",
                "audio": "pu/purpose/purpose__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French porpos, from the verb porposer, variant of proposer, from Latin proponere ‘set forth’ (from pro- ‘forward’ + ponere ‘put’)."
}