as in aimless
having or seeming to have no purpose or reason
I have to go to another purposeless meeting tonight. purposeless suffering
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Recent Examples of purposeless
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
Religion gives meaning to human lives, which otherwise can feel purposeless.
—WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
In How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell talks about how the pursuit of productivity — driven by capitalism, competition, and consumption — has redirected our attention outward, leaving us feeling empty and purposeless.
—refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2021
Although gender is effectively purposeless—if not irrelevant—in gaming, my brothers reflected society's obsession with forcing others to choose between pink or blue.
—Jamie Valentino, Wired, 22 June 2021
These protests are nearly all disingenuous, false and specious, and meant to utilize fear to continue a tragic and purposeless war.
—Matthew Hoh, CNN, 17 May 2021
In Mazars, Trump may yet be able to convince the lower courts that Congress’s rationale for seeking his financial records is too broad, too partisan, or too purposeless.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 July 2020
Well, given the malignant chaos of a purposeless universe, what’s one little false allegation in the scheme of things?
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2020
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
Religion gives meaning to human lives, which otherwise can feel purposeless.
—WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
In How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell talks about how the pursuit of productivity — driven by capitalism, competition, and consumption — has redirected our attention outward, leaving us feeling empty and purposeless.
—refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2021
Although gender is effectively purposeless—if not irrelevant—in gaming, my brothers reflected society's obsession with forcing others to choose between pink or blue.
—Jamie Valentino, Wired, 22 June 2021
These protests are nearly all disingenuous, false and specious, and meant to utilize fear to continue a tragic and purposeless war.
—Matthew Hoh, CNN, 17 May 2021
In Mazars, Trump may yet be able to convince the lower courts that Congress’s rationale for seeking his financial records is too broad, too partisan, or too purposeless.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 July 2020
Well, given the malignant chaos of a purposeless universe, what’s one little false allegation in the scheme of things?
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeless
Adjective
-
But whereas Slama’s first film felt overindulgent and ultimately aimless, this one is held down by a compelling performance from Titane’s Agathe Rousselle, playing a Franco-American with a major attitude who’s desperately trying to make ends meet as the 2024 Summer Olympics begin.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
-
Rather than adapting, many boys and men are left confused, resentful and aimless.—
Chuka Emezue,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
According to Tom's Hardware, that drive also had the ability to automatically overwrite the contents of your storage with meaningless code so your original data couldn't be retrieved.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
15 July 2025
-
At the same time, begin to appreciate moments of meaningless time.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Economists and trade researchers say the haphazard nature of the trade war is compounding the longer-term pressure on US manufacturing.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
-
Marketers are widely acknowledged to be among those greatly affected by AI, which has made many of us race blindly into haphazard adoption.—
Andrea Fryrear,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
More Songs is, in effect, Eno’s debut as a capital-P producer, notwithstanding some minor early efforts and, of course, David Bowie’s landmark sessions for Low and Heroes.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
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The club insisted Isak was left behind because of a minor thigh problem but The Athletic reported on Thursday sources, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly, indicated the forward favoured being omitted amid his uncertain future.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
The shoulder straps can even be tied into little bows and adjusted for a custom fit.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
15 July 2025
-
From returning carts to sharing smiles in the checkout line, shoppers often engage in little acts of kindness that brighten someone’s day.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Towns and hamlets have been largely pulverized along the front lines and for miles beyond; even American air defenses are mostly useless, because setting them up invites an immediate Russian attack.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Apart from evidence, some of the most important testimonies in the case were also deemed useless during the investigation.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
But what if this chimp fashion wasn't entirely pointless?—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
19 July 2025
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And with the game in its fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, Acuna picked a fight with Denzel Dumfries, a man far too streetwise to get sucked into such an incredibly pointless altercation.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 84. July 18: A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
-
There is a slight risk of excessive rainfall across most of east Central Florida.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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