main purpose — most important reason
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
the most important reason for doing something, or the main goal of something
Say it like a native
Textbook The principal objective of this initiative is to raise awareness.
Native The main purpose of this is to raise awareness.
'The main purpose is' is the natural set phrase. 'Principal objective of this initiative' is bureaucratic.
Pattern: the main purpose of [noun/verb-ing] is (to) [verb]
In use
- The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss our new project.daily life
- In my opinion, the main purpose of education is to help people develop critical thinking skills.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The main purpose of the trip is for learning.
✓ The main purpose of the trip is to learn.
'The main purpose is TO + verb' (or 'is + noun'), not 'is for + -ing'.
Common collocations
main purpose— the main purpose is, serve a purpose, of the meeting, defeat the purpose
Don't confuse it
'Main purpose' is stronger than just 'purpose'—it means the most important one.