broadly agree to agree with most parts of something:
The conference delegates broadly agreed with the proposals.
there is some truth in used when saying that you think that something is partly true or right:
There is some truth in the argument that there is a link between violence on our streets and violence on our TV screens.
There is some truth in all of these theories, but none of them can fully explain the causes of unemployment.
When a group of people agree
agreement noun [uncountable] if there is agreement on something, people agree about it:
Today there is general agreement that pollution from cars and planes is threatening the future of our planet.
There is widespread agreement on the need for prison reform. (=most people agree about it)
Geologists are mostly in agreement about how the islands were formed. (=most of them agree about it)
The two sides were unable to reach agreement. (=they could not agree with each other)
consensus noun [singular,uncountable] agreement between most of the people in a group about something, especially with the result that they decide on a particular course of action:
There is now a general consensus among scientists on the causes of global warming.
There was a growing consensus that the military government had to be replaced.
common ground noun [singular, uncountable] things that people agree about, especially when there are other things that they disagree about:
There are many areas of common ground between the two philosophers.
Despite their differing backgrounds, they found common ground in their interest in science.
unanimous adjective if a group of people are unanimous on something, they all have the same opinion about it:
Medical experts are unanimous on this issue.
They were unanimous in their opposition to the plan.
a unanimous decision by the three judges
widely held view / belief etc an opinion, belief etc that many people have:
There is a widely held view among business experts that selling off a business to a management team is not in the best interests of the company's shareholders.
There is a widely held belief that advanced western societies are becoming more and more criminalized.
widely / generally accepted if something is widely or generally accepted, it is
thought to be true by most people:
It is now widely accepted that the universe began with the so-called 'big bang'.
It is generally accepted that electricity generated from nuclear power is more expensive than other forms of electricity.
Aim or Purpose
Ways of saying what the aim or purpose of something is
Words meaning aim or purpose
1. Ways of saying what the aim or purpose of something is aim to do something to try to achieve something:
This paper aims to show how science and technology have influenced the work of artists.
The research aims to answer two questions. First, what causes the disease? Second, is it possible to find a cure?
In this study, we aimed to record the number of birds who returned to the same woodland for a second summer.
set out to do something to try to achieve something. You use set out to do something especially when talking about someone's original aims when they start to do something:
The organization never achieved what it set out to do.
The first chapter sets out to explain the origins of modern science.
The authors set out to show how men's and women's language are different from each other.
in order to so that someone can do something, or so that something can happen:
Tests were carried out in order to find out if the drug had any side effects.
be intended to do something if something is intended to do something, it is
done for that purpose:
The course is intended to provide a basic introduction to molecular biology.
The dams were intended to control the flooding which affects the river in winter.
be supposed to do something / be meant to do something to be intended to have a particular result or effect. You use these phrases especially when something actually fails to achieve what was originally planned:
The film is supposed to be a serious drama.
The scheme was meant to improve the city's image.
2. Words meaning aim or purpose
aim noun [countable] what you want to achieve when you do something:
The main aims of the project are as follows.
The main aim of the study is to investigate the way in which young people deal with the stress of exams.
The bank achieved its aim of attracting 50,000 customers by the end of the year.
One of the aims of this chapter is to explain Freud's theory of the mind.
My aim in this article is to examine ways in which the present system could be improved.
A cure for cancer is our ultimate aim. (=the most important aim, which you hope one day to achieve)
purpose noun [countable] the reason why you do something, and the thing that you want to achieve when you do it:
He did not tell them about the purpose of his visit.
The main purpose of education is to help people to lead satisfying and productive lives.
The main purpose of the changes is to reduce costs and improve the service to customers.
The United Nations was established for the purpose of protecting basic human rights.
The information will be used for research purposes.
Many plants from the rainforest are used for medical purposes.
objective noun [countable] the thing that someone is trying to achieve, especially in business or politics:
The policy has three main objectives: firstly, to increase food production; secondly, to improve the distribution of food; and finally, to improve the diet of ordinary people.
The principal objective of any company is to make money for its shareholders.
The government is unlikely to achieve its long-term objective of cutting CO2 emissions.
goal noun [countable] something that a person or organization hopes to achieve in the future, even though this may take a long time:
It took Mandela over forty years to achieve his goal of a democratic South Africa.
The company's long-term goal is to be the market leader in this type of technology.
World leaders have set themselves the goal of getting rid of child poverty.
target noun [countable] the exact result, often a number or an amount of something, that a person or organization intends to achieve: