 | This page is a primary topic and an article should be written about it. One or more editors believe it holds the title of a broad-concept article. The article may be written here or drafted elsewhere first. Related titles should be described here, while unrelated titles should be moved to Purpose (disambiguation). (February 2026) |
Look up purpose, intention, intentional, intentionally, or purport in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Purpose is the end for which something is done, created or for which it exists. Purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. It is part of the topic of intentionality and goal-seeking behavior.
Related concepts and subjects:
- Goal, a desired result or possible outcome
- Intention, the state of intending something or the action intended
- Motivation, a driving factor for actions, willingness, and goals
- Determination or resolve
- Meaningful life — a life of purpose
- Purpose clause, in grammar a dependent adverbial clause expressing purpose
- Purpose of life, questions regarding the significance of living or existence in general
- Teleology, the philosophical attempt to describe things in terms of their apparent purpose or goal
- Teleonomy, the apparent purposefulness of structures and functions in living organisms
