purpose has been served

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "purpose has been served" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a specific goal or intention has been achieved or fulfilled. Example: "After completing the project successfully, I felt that my purpose has been served in this role."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Huffington Post

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

JULY: My purpose has been served.

The New York Times

The purpose has been served.

The New York Times - Sports

Your purpose has been served.

Huffington Post

Just as Thor resurrected his sacrificed goats the day after his feast, so should you mentally redeem your "safe-goat" after your event has passed and their purpose has been served.

Huffington Post

After the Army decision to block the easement, Dave Archambault III, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, made a similar request for different reasons, asking all non-Sioux to pack up and leave, saying "their purpose has been served" in an interview with Reuters.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

And at the end of it all the five white suspects all innocent, remember, in the eyes of the law were pelted with bottles, cans and eggs as they emerged into the street.Could any useful purpose have been served by this?

The Economist

Outside on Liberty Island in the prime universe, the Observers watch as September (Michael Cerveris) notes to December (Eugene Lipinski) that Peter has already been forgotten by his friends, his purpose having been served, and explains that Peter now never existed.

Wikipedia

If such separation was desired, its purpose would have been served with "Cox and Shays each have".

The New York Times - Magazine

If you saw the pleasure he took just from his clay class... What possible purpose could have been served by the death of such a man?

The New Yorker

While architecture and fashion design is defined the values of socio-cultural, political and technological from past and today; withholding a light to future decisions for hundreds of years in a manner of speaking, they have been served with a purpose of resolving humanities shelter needs with a different scales.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

For a century and more Cowdenbeath have been serving their purpose well, bringing wholesome fun to a Fife town that used to be all about mining in the 1870s, when the owner of a second-hand furniture shop, one Margaret Pollock, reckoned something was missing from the place: "Mither decided that we'd got tae hae a ba' so she went tae Glesgae and brocht ane back.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "purpose has been served" when you want to clearly communicate that a specific aim, goal, or function has been successfully completed. This phrase is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "purpose has been served" when the aim or goal is still in progress or only partially achieved. This phrase explicitly indicates that the objective has been fully realized.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "purpose has been served" functions as a declarative statement indicating that a specific goal, aim, or function has been successfully completed or fulfilled. This expression serves to communicate a sense of completion and resolution.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Huffington Post

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "purpose has been served" is a grammatically correct and usable expression indicating that a goal, aim, or function has been successfully completed. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While it appears less frequently in common usage, its meaning is clear, and it can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is often found in news and media sources, signifying the completion of a specific objective or endeavor. For alternative phrasing, you can consider "objective has been achieved" or "mission accomplished".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

objective has been achieved

Replaces "purpose" with "objective", focusing on the attainment of a specific aim.

mission accomplished

An idiomatic expression emphasizing the successful completion of a task or mission.

goal has been attained

Similar to "objective has been achieved", highlighting the reaching of a goal.

aim has been fulfilled

Focuses on the fulfillment of an intention or aim.

job is done

A more informal way of saying that a task is complete.

task is complete

Directly states that a task has been finished.

end has been met

Emphasizes the achievement of a desired end result.

reason for being is complete

A more philosophical take, suggesting the original reason for existence or action has concluded.

function is complete

Focuses on the completion of the operational use of something.

role has been fulfilled

Highlights the successful completion of a designated role or function.

FAQs

What does it mean to say that a "purpose has been served"?

Saying that a "purpose has been served" means that a particular goal, aim, or function has been successfully completed or fulfilled. It implies that the initial reason or intention for something's existence or action is now concluded.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "purpose has been served"?

It's appropriate to use "purpose has been served" when you want to emphasize that a specific objective has been fully accomplished. It can be used in various contexts, from formal reports to informal conversations, to indicate completion and resolution.

Are there any alternative phrases I can use instead of "purpose has been served"?

Yes, you can use alternatives like "objective has been achieved", "mission accomplished", or "goal has been attained" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

How formal is the phrase "purpose has been served"?

The phrase "purpose has been served" is relatively neutral in formality. It can be used in both formal and informal settings, although it might sound slightly more formal than phrases like "job is done" or "task is complete".