purposes

IPA/ˈpɜː.pəs/
KK[pˈɚpəsəz]IPA/ˈpɝː.pəs/

purposes — 名詞

  • purposessingular
  • purposesesplural

1. The aim behind an action or the point of a thing — what makes a person do someth

1.名詞B1
釋義

目的

做某事或某物存在的理由

The aim behind an action or the point of a thing — what makes a person do something or explains why an object was created.

例句

Feng explained the purpose of the town meeting to the new residents.

Feng 向新來的居民解釋了鎮民大會的目的。

the purpose of + noun phrase

Aylin joined the choir with the purpose of meeting people who love singing.

Aylin 加入合唱團的目的是認識同樣熱愛唱歌的人。

with the purpose of + -ing

同義詞
  • aim

    more concrete and specific; often a measurable target

  • goal

    suggests a long-term target, often personal or professional

  • objective

    formal; common in business, military, or academic settings

  • intention

    focuses on what you plan to do rather than the outcome

文法句型

the purpose of + noun

for the purpose of + -ing

with the purpose of + -ing

2. Done deliberately and with full awareness, rather than happening by mistake or c

2.名詞B1
釋義

故意；存心

有意識地做，並非出於意外

Done deliberately and with full awareness, rather than happening by mistake or chance.

例句

Adina knocked over the glass on purpose because she was angry at her brother.

Adina 因為生哥哥的氣，故意打翻了杯子。

on purpose = deliberately

Did Quan leave the gate open on purpose, or did the wind blow it open?

Quan 是故意讓大門開著，還是被風吹開的？

on purpose vs. by accident in a question

同義詞
  • deliberately

    stresses conscious choice; slightly more formal than 'on purpose'

  • intentionally

    focuses on having a clear intention behind the action

  • knowingly

    emphasises awareness, often used in legal contexts

反義詞

文法句型

on purpose

用法筆記

Always used in the fixed phrase 'on purpose'. Cannot be used as a standalone noun for this meaning. Distinguish from 'with purpose' (sense 3), which means with determination.

常見錯誤

❌I broke the plate with purpose.
✅I broke the plate on purpose.
💡'with purpose' means with determination (sense 3), not deliberately.

3. A steady inner drive that comes from knowing what you want — the firmness that k

3.名詞C2
釋義

決心；意志

有明確目標且堅定不移的態度

A steady inner drive that comes from knowing what you want — the firmness that keeps you moving toward a goal even when things get hard.

例句

Mira faced months of training with a quiet sense of purpose that impressed her coach.

Mira 帶著一股沉穩的決心面對數月的訓練，讓教練印象深刻。

sense of purpose

After losing his job, Cyrus found new purpose in teaching young people to read.

失業後，Cyrus 在教年輕人識字之中找到了新的意志。

find purpose in + -ing

同義詞
  • determination

    stresses firmness of will, often in the face of difficulty

  • resolve

    formal; suggests a conscious decision to stay committed

  • resolution

    similar to resolve but often used for New Year's resolutions or formal pledges

反義詞

文法句型

sense of purpose

strength of purpose

find purpose in

用法筆記

Uncountable in this sense. Often paired with 'sense of', 'strength of', or 'lack of'. Distinguish from sense 1: 'a purpose' is a goal; 'purpose' (no article) in this sense is the quality of being determined.

常見錯誤

❌She has a purpose.' (when meaning she is determined)
✅She has a sense of purpose.
💡'A purpose' alone means a goal or reason (sense 1), not the quality of being determined.

4. What someone requires or what a thing must provide in order to be suitable for a

4.名詞
釋義

需求；需要

為特定用途所需的條件

What someone requires or what a thing must provide in order to be suitable for a particular task or situation.

例句

The small office served their purposes well enough for the first year.

那間小辦公室在第一年還算能滿足他們的需求。

serve someone's purposes

The carpenter searched for a desk that was the right height for his purposes.

那位木匠在找一張高度符合他需求的書桌。

for someone's purposes

同義詞
  • need

    simpler and more direct; 'for my purposes' = 'for my needs'

  • requirement

    more formal; often used in official or business settings

  • necessity

    stresses that something is essential, not just helpful

文法句型

for one's purposes

serve someone's purposes

用法筆記

Almost always used in the plural ('purposes') and in phrases like 'for my purposes' or 'serve someone's purposes'. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense is about meeting needs, not about inherent function.

常見錯誤

❌This tool has a clear purpose.' (when meaning it meets my needs)
✅This tool serves my purposes.
💡Sense 4 is about fulfilling needs in a situation, not about the object's built-in function (sense 5).

5. The practical use, role, or function that something has — what it does and why i

5.名詞C2
釋義

用途；功用

某物實際的用處或功能

The practical use, role, or function that something has — what it does and why it is useful.

例句

The old railway building now serves a new purpose as a community art centre.

那棟舊火車站如今有了新用途，成了社區藝術中心。

serve a purpose

A pocket knife serves many purposes, from opening boxes to cutting string.

一把小刀有很多用途，從拆包裹到割繩子都行。

serve many purposes

同義詞
  • function

    stresses the specific job something is designed to do

  • use

    simpler and broader; the most common alternative in everyday speech

  • role

    emphasises the part something plays within a larger system

反義詞

文法句型

serve a purpose

serve no purpose

serve its purpose

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'serve' or 'give'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about what a thing is used for, not why an action is taken.

purposes — 動詞