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Purpose vs Scheme - What's the difference?

purpose | scheme | Synonyms |

Scheme is a synonym of purpose.



As nouns the difference between purpose and scheme

is that purpose is an object to be reached; a target; an aim; a goal while scheme is a systematic plan of future action.

As verbs the difference between purpose and scheme

is that purpose is have set as one's purpose; resolve to accomplish; intend; plan while scheme is to plot, or contrive a plan.

As a proper noun Scheme is

a programming language, one of the two major dialects of Lisp.

purpose

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • An object to be reached; a target; an aim; a goal.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author= Ed Pilkington
    • , volume=188, issue=26, page=6, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= ‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told , passage=In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.}}
  • A result that is desired; an intention.
  • The act of intending to do something; resolution; determination.
  • * 2013 , Phil McNulty, "[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23830980]", BBC Sport , 1 September 2013:
    • United began with more purpose in the early phase of the second half and Liverpool were grateful for Glen Johnson's crucial block from Young's goalbound shot.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Sarah Glaz
    • , title= Ode to Prime Numbers , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.}}
  • The subject of discourse; the point at issue.
    • (Spenser)
  • The reason for which something is done, or the reason it is done in a particular way.
    • The purpose of turning off the lights overnight is to save energy.
  • (obsolete) Instance; example.
    • (rfquotek, L'Estrange)
    Synonyms
    * (target ): aim, goal, object, target * (intention ): aim, plan, intention * (determination ): determination, intention, resolution * (subject of discourse ): matter, subject, topic * (reason for doing something ): reason * See also
    Derived terms
    (terms derived from purpose) * all-purpose * common purpose * cross-purpose * fit for purpose * for all intents and purposes * game with a purpose * general-purpose * infinitive of purpose * multi-purpose * metapurpose * purpose-built * purposeful * purposeless * purpose-like * purpose loan * purposely * purpose statement * on purpose

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Verb

    (purpos)
  • Have set as one's purpose; resolve to accomplish; intend; plan.
  • * Macaulay
    • I purpose to write the history of England from the accession of King James the Second down to a time which is within the memory of men still living.
  • (passive ) Designed for some purpose.
  • (obsolete) To have a purpose or intention; to discourse.
    • (Spenser)
    Derived terms
    * purposed * purposer * purposive * on purpose
    Synonyms
    * (have set as one's purpose ): aim, intend, mean, plan, set out * (designed for some purpose ): intended

    References

    * * *

    Statistics

    *

    scheme

    English

    (wikipedia scheme)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A systematic plan of future action.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.
  • * {{quote-magazine, title=Ideas coming down the track, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
    • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) citation , passage=A “moving platform” scheme
  • A plot or secret, devious plan.
  • An orderly combination of related parts.
  • * John Locke
    • the appearance and outward scheme of things
  • * Atterbury
    • such a scheme of things as shall at once take in time and eternity
  • * J. Edwards
    • arguments sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy
  • * Macaulay
    • The Revolution came and changed his whole scheme of life.
  • A chart or diagram of a system or object.
  • * South
    • to draw an exact scheme of Constantinople, or a map of France
  • (mathematics) A type of topological space.
  • (UK, chiefly, Scotland) A council housing estate.
  • * 2008 , (James Kelman), Kieron Smith, Boy , Penguin 2009, p. 101:
    • It was all too dear. They all just put their prices up because it was out in the scheme .
  • (rhetoric) An artful deviation from the ordinary arrangement of words.
  • (astrology) A representation of the aspects of the celestial bodies for any moment or at a given event.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • a blue case, from which was drawn a scheme of nativity
  • Part of a uniform resource identifier indicating the protocol or other purpose, such as http: or news:.

    • Usage notes

    In the US, generally has devious connotations, while in the UK, frequently used as a neutral term for projects: “The road is closed due to a pavement-widening scheme.”

    Synonyms

    * (a systematic plan of future action) blueprint

    Verb

    (schem)
  • To plot, or contrive a plan.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 26 , author=Tasha Robinson , title=Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits : , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=The openly ridiculous plot has The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) scheming to win the Pirate Of The Year competition, even though he’s a terrible pirate, far outclassed by rivals voiced by Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek. }}

    References

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