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Definition of aim noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

  1.  
     [countable] the purpose of doing something; what somebody is trying to achieve
    • the stated aims of the study
    • Our main aim is to provide affordable childcare.
    • His sole aim in life is to enjoy himself.
    • Teamwork is required in order to achieve these aims.
    • to pursue/further/fulfil your aims
    • She set out the company's aims and objectives in her speech.
    • with the aim of doing something The organization was formed with the aim of helping local people.
    Synonyms purposepurposeaim ▪ intention ▪ plan ▪ point ▪ ideaThese are all words for talking about what somebody/​something intends to do or achieve.purpose what something is supposed to achieve; what somebody is trying to achieve:
    • Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.
    aim what somebody is trying to achieve; what something is supposed to achieve:
    • She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
    • Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
     purpose or aim?Your purpose for doing something is your reason for doing it; your aim is what you want to achieve. Aim can suggest that you are only trying to achieve something; purpose gives a stronger sense of achievement being certain. Aim can be somebody’s aim or the aim of something. Purpose is more usually the purpose of something: you can talk about somebody’s purpose but that is more formal.intention what you intend to do:
    • I have no intention of going to the wedding.
    • She’s full of good intentions but they rarely work out.
    plan what you intend to do or achieve:
    • There are no plans to build new offices.
     intention or plan?Your intentions are what you want to do, especially in the near future; your plans are what you have decided or arranged to do, often, but not always, in the longer term.point (rather informal) the purpose or aim of something:
    • What’s the point of all this violence?
    • The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries.
    idea (rather informal) the purpose of something; somebody’s aim:
    • The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.
    • What’s the idea behind this?
     point or idea?Point is a more negative word than idea. If you say What’s the point…? you are suggesting that there is no point; if you say What’s the idea…? you are genuinely asking a question. Point, but not idea, is used to talk about things you feel annoyed or unhappy about: There’s no idea in… • I don’t see the idea of…. Patterns
    • with the purpose/​aim/​intention/​idea of doing something
    • somebody’s intention/​plan to do something
    • to have a(n) purpose/​aim/​intention/​plan/​point
    • to achieve/​fulfil a(n) purpose/​aim
    Extra Examples
    • She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
    • Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
    • Bob's one aim in life is to earn a lot of money.
    • His ultimate aim was to force the chairman to resign.
    • It is important to have a clear aim in view.
    • You will have to work hard to achieve your aim.
    • Simple truth must be the highest aim of any real enquiry.
    • The express aim of the treaty is to keep the whole region free from nuclear weapons.
    • I want to see a strong and united country in which people work together with common aims.
    • They were intent on furthering their aims.
    • Begin by explaining the aims of the lesson.
    Topics Successb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • broad
    • general
    • overall
    • …
    verb + aim
    • have
    • set (yourself)
    • accomplish
    • …
    preposition
    • with the aim of
    phrases
    • aims and objectives
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable, singular] the action or skill of pointing a weapon at somebody/something
    • Her aim was good and she hit the target with her first shot.
    • The gunman took aim (= pointed his weapon) and fired.
    • His aim was poor and he missed the target.
    • It was a perfect aim and there was no way he would miss.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • careful
    • direct
    • steady
    • …
    verb + aim
    • take
    • adjust
    preposition
    • aim at
    See full entry
    3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French amer, variant of esmer (from Latin aestimare ‘assess, estimate’), reinforced by aemer, aesmer (from late Latin adaestimare, intensified form of aestimare).
Idioms
take aim at somebody/something
  1. (North American English) to direct your criticism at somebody/something
See aim in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee aim in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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