Key Difference: Goal and Purpose are two words and have two different meanings. A “goal” is an ambition or the desired result that needs to be achieved in a short or long period of time. The term purpose refers to the result for which you want to work or do something for a reason. Today, we will see the difference between these two words with proper explanations and examples. Let’s get into this post and understand the contradictions of these words.
Goal: My goal is to become a dentist.
Purpose: What is the purpose of life?
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Goal:
A Specific Target to be achieved.
The term Goal is a noun. We usually use this word when we talk about our targets or aim. People always have a set of goals that need to be achieved in the short or long term. Generally, your goals lead you to move toward your vision. Let’s see a sample statement to make it clear to you. Her goal is to become a teacher. From this statement, we might understand that she wants to be a teacher in the future.
How Do We Spell the Word Goal?
Phonetics pronunciation of the word Goal is ɡəʊl. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Goal” by syllables.
- The word “Goal” has one syllable.
- It cannot be divided.
Using “Goal” in sentences:
- Our primary goal is to help others who are in need.
- Everyone should have a goal to be achieved in a lifetime.
- I have taken the first step to achieve my goal.
- He almost reached his goal.
- My teacher asked, what is your goal?
Purpose:
Doing something for a reason.
The word purpose refers to the reason for which something is done. In other words, Purpose refers to planning or intention to do something. Let’s see an example sentence of this word. The purpose of doing exercise every morning is to be healthy. In this sentence, we might understand that we will lead a healthy life if we do exercise every morning. To say another example, what is the purpose of your education?. In this question, someone is asked about the purpose of education.
How Do We Spell the Word Purpose?
Phonetics pronunciation of the word Purpose is ˈpəːpəs. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Purpose” by syllables.
- The word “Purpose” has two syllables.
- It can be divided into “Pur-pose.”
Using “Purpose” in sentences:
- What is the purpose of your visit?
- I think Jerry did that on purpose.
- The purpose of life is to be happy.
- Diana achieved her purpose.
- He explained the purpose of the project.
Compare: Goal Vs Purpose
This table will show you the contradiction between the words Goal and Purpose.
| Goal | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A Goal is a target or an objective that needs to be achieved. | It refers to planning or intention to do something. |
| Synonyms | Aim, objective, target, idea, point | motive, cause, reason, goal, object, intention, use, value, merit, gain, profit, outcome, benefit |
| Antonyms | aimlessness, irresolution, | irrelevant, worthlessness, needlessness, pointlessness |
| Etymology | Middle English (in the sense ‘limit, boundary’): of unknown origin. | Middle English: from Old French porpos, from the verb porposer, variant of proposer |
| Examples | Jerry and John have two different goals. Robert is a goalkeeper on our team. She has no goals in life. | What is my purpose in doing this work? She broke the TV on purpose. He did not do it on purpose. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Cambridge Dictionary (Goal, Purpose), Merriam-Webster (Goal, Purpose), Collins Dictionary (Goal, Purpose), Dictionary.com (Goal, Purpose)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2], CollinsDictionary.com[3], Dictionary.com[4].