Usually means: Goals or intentions that conflict.
Definitions Related words Mentions
We found 18 dictionaries that define the word cross-purpose:

General (18 matching dictionaries)
  1. cross-purpose: Merriam-Webster
  2. cross-purpose: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  3. cross-purpose, cross-purpose: Collins English Dictionary
  4. cross-purpose: Vocabulary.com
  5. cross-purpose: Wordnik
  6. cross-purpose: Wiktionary
  7. cross-purpose: Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed.
  8. cross-purpose: The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus
  9. cross-purpose: Infoplease Dictionary
  10. Cross-purpose, cross-purpose: Dictionary.com
  11. Cross-purpose: Online Plain Text English Dictionary
  12. cross-purpose: Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition
  13. cross-purpose: Rhymezone
  14. Cross-purpose: AllWords.com Multi-Lingual Dictionary
  15. cross-purpose: Webster's 1828 Dictionary
  16. cross-purpose: FreeDictionary.org
  17. cross-purpose: Mnemonic Dictionary
  18. cross-purpose: TheFreeDictionary.com

(Note: See cross-purposes as well.)

Definitions from Wiktionary (cross-purpose)

noun:  (idiomatic) A contrary or conflicting purpose or understanding, especially an unintentional or misconceived one.

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