purposeless

adjective

pur·​pose·​less ˈpər-pəs-ləs How to pronounce purposeless (audio)
Synonyms of purposelessnext
: having no purpose : aimless, meaningless
purposelessly adverb
purposelessness noun

Examples of purposeless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Marine biologists had thought that the pelvic bones were purposeless in the marine environment, and would eventually disappear given another million or so years of evolution. — Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2014 But here’s a question: How much longer can the country afford to lure so many of its promising talents into a life of purposeless paper-pushing and legalized economic vandalism that antitrust has become? — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 10 May 2022

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purposeless was circa 1552

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Cite this Entry

“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposeless. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on purposeless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for purposeless

Nglish: Translation of purposeless for Spanish Speakers

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