an end in itself
noun phrase
: something that one does because one wants to and not because it will help achieve or accomplish something else
She started exercising for her health, but she enjoyed it so much that exercising became an end in itself.
For him, taking classes was an end in itself.
Examples of an end in itself in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Originalism’s offshoots can be grouped into two camps: One group, the scholars, sees originalist interpretation as an end in itself, and will follow it anywhere.
—
Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
China needs unfettered globalization to sustain its broken economic model, but for the United States international trade is not an end in itself.
—Eyck Freymann, Foreign Affairs, 29 Jan. 2025
Chinese officials point out that EAST is not an end in itself.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2025
Beyond the question raised by the exclusive nature of measuring intelligence through an economic indicator, is this metric a means to an end, or an end in itself?
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the Floral Pathways palette references the color’s unmistakable connection to the earth—seeing it not as an end in itself, but as the means by which Cornflower Blue, Rose Tan, and other subtle pastels spring to life.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 5 Dec. 2024
Already people were beginning to see math as an end in itself.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
The Madness can traffic in false equivalences—a common pitfall of political fiction that values moderation as an end in itself.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 28 Nov. 2024
However, for ambitious tech entrepreneurs and investors, the bigger opportunity may lie in using software as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
—Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
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Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
China needs unfettered globalization to sustain its broken economic model, but for the United States international trade is not an end in itself.
—Eyck Freymann, Foreign Affairs, 29 Jan. 2025
Chinese officials point out that EAST is not an end in itself.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2025
Beyond the question raised by the exclusive nature of measuring intelligence through an economic indicator, is this metric a means to an end, or an end in itself?
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the Floral Pathways palette references the color’s unmistakable connection to the earth—seeing it not as an end in itself, but as the means by which Cornflower Blue, Rose Tan, and other subtle pastels spring to life.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 5 Dec. 2024
Already people were beginning to see math as an end in itself.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
The Madness can traffic in false equivalences—a common pitfall of political fiction that values moderation as an end in itself.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 28 Nov. 2024
However, for ambitious tech entrepreneurs and investors, the bigger opportunity may lie in using software as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
—Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“An end in itself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/an%20end%20in%20itself. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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