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an end in itself |
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*an end in itself existing for its own sake; existing for no clear purpose. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) For Bob, art is an end in itself. He doesn't hope to make any money from it. Learning is an end in itself. Knowledge does not have to have a practical application. an end in itself if an activity or action is an end in itself, it is important to you not because it will help you to achieve something else, but because you enjoy doing it or think that it is important Education should be an end in itself. an end in itself (slightly formal) satisfying no other purpose than the enjoyment of doing it Memorizing facts can become an end in itself and not a way of understanding something. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| ? References in classic literature |
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Every man's work, pursued steadily, tends in this way to become an end in itself, and so to bridge over the loveless chasms of his life. She had accepted it as a place to live in, as an end in itself. This inalienable habit of saving, as an end in itself, belonged to the industrious men of business of a former generation, who made their fortunes slowly, almost as the tracking of the fox belongs to the harrier,--it constituted them a "race," which is nearly lost in these days of rapid money-getting, when lavishness comes close on the back of want. |
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