The difference between Mean and Purpose

When used as nouns, mean means a method or course of action used to achieve some result, whereas purpose means an object to be reached.

When used as verbs, mean means to intend, to plan (to do), whereas purpose means to have set as one's purpose.

Mean is also adjective with the meaning: common.

check bellow for the other definitions of Mean and Purpose

  1. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To intend. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention. To have intentions of a given kind. To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.

    Examples:

    "I didn't mean to knock your tooth out."

    "I mean to go to Baddeck this summer."

    "I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind."

    "Don't be angry; she meant well."

    "Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor."

    "Man was not meant to question such things."

  2. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To convey meaning. To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea). Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify. Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.

    Examples:

    "The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?"

    "What does this hieroglyph mean?"

    "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

    "He is a little different, [[if you know what I mean if you know what I mean]]."

  3. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

    Examples:

    "Does she really mean what she said to him last night?"

    "Say what you mean and mean what you say."

  4. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To result in; to bring about.

    Examples:

    "One faltering step means certain death."

  5. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To be important (to).

    Examples:

    "My home life means a lot to me."

  1. Mean as a verb (Ireland, UK, _, regional):

    To lament.

  1. Mean as an adjective (obsolete):

    Common; general.

  2. Mean as an adjective:

    Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

    Examples:

    "a man of mean parentage / a mean abode"

  3. Mean as an adjective:

    Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

    Examples:

    "a mean appearance / mean dress"

  4. Mean as an adjective:

    Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

    Examples:

    "a mean motive"

  5. Mean as an adjective:

    Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

  6. Mean as an adjective (chiefly, UK):

    Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

    Examples:

    "He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children."

  7. Mean as an adjective:

    Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating; small.

  8. Mean as an adjective:

    Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

    Examples:

    "It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just ''had'' to get uptown and he had no cash of his own."

  9. Mean as an adjective:

    Causing or intending to cause intentional harm; bearing ill will towards another; cruel; malicious.

    Examples:

    "Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose."

  10. Mean as an adjective:

    Powerful; fierce; harsh; damaging.

    Examples:

    "It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town."

  11. Mean as an adjective:

    Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

    Examples:

    "Your mother can roll a mean cigarette."

    "He hits a mean backhand."

  12. Mean as an adjective (informal, often, childish):

    Difficult, tricky.

    Examples:

    "This problem is mean!"

  1. Mean as an adjective:

    Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.

  2. Mean as an adjective (obsolete):

    Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

  1. Mean as a noun (now, chiefly, in the plural):

    A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

  2. Mean as a noun (obsolete, in the singular):

    An intermediate step or intermediate steps.

  3. Mean as a noun:

    Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.

  4. Mean as a noun (music, now, historical):

    The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.

  5. Mean as a noun (statistics):

    The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.

  6. Mean as a noun (mathematics):

    Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.

  7. Mean as a noun (mathematics):

    Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

  1. Purpose as a noun:

    An object to be reached; a target; an aim; a goal. "purpose".

  2. Purpose as a noun:

    A result that is desired; an intention.

  3. Purpose as a noun:

    The act of intending to do something; resolution; determination.

  4. Purpose as a noun:

    The subject of discourse; the point at issue.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Spenser"

  5. Purpose as a noun:

    The reason for which something is done, or the reason it is done in a particular way.

    Examples:

    "The purpose of turning off the lights overnight is to save energy."

  6. Purpose as a noun (obsolete):

    Instance; example.

  1. Purpose as a verb (intransitive):

    To have set as one's purpose; resolve to accomplish; intend; plan.

  2. Purpose as a verb (transitive, passive):

    To design for some purpose.

  3. Purpose as a verb (obsolete, intransitive):

    To discourse.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Edmund Spenser"

Compare words:

Compare with synonyms and related words: