Definition

1. Noun:
   • A contrary aim; a conflicting or opposing purpose: "cross-purpose" refers to a situation where two or more parties have goals or intentions that are in direct opposition or conflict with each other, often leading to misunderstanding or failure.
   • A state of mutual misunderstanding: It can also describe a situation where people are working against each other unintentionally because they misunderstand each other's intentions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The two departments were working at cross-purposes, one trying to cut costs while the other was increasing spending.
  • Their constant arguments stemmed from being at cross-purposes; they both wanted the project to succeed but had completely different visions for it.

Advanced Usage

• "to be at cross-purposes": This is the primary and most common usage. It describes a state where two or more people or groups are acting in a way that hinders each other's goals, usually due to a lack of communication or conflicting underlying aims.
  • The manager and the team were talking at cross-purposes during the meeting, so no decision was made.

Variants and Related Words

• Cross-purposes (n): Almost exclusively used in the plural form "cross-purposes," particularly in the phrase "at cross-purposes."
• Misalignment (n): A situation where things are not correctly lined up or in agreement.
• Conflict (n): A serious disagreement or argument.

Synonyms

• Misunderstanding: A failure to understand something correctly.
• Clash: A conflict or disagreement.
• Discrepancy: A lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts.

Related Phrases

• At odds: In conflict or disagreement.
  • The two reports are at odds with each other.
• Working against each other: Acting in a way that hinders mutual progress.

Idioms

• To be at cross-purposes: To have aims or goals that conflict with another person's, so that you hinder each other without necessarily intending to.
  • We realized we had been at cross-purposes for weeks; I was trying to simplify the design while she was trying to add more features.

Noun

1. a contrary aim
   • at cross-purposes