Zwecke

Zwecke is a German noun meaning purposes, aims, or ends. It is the plural form of Zweck, which denotes the intended result of an action, the function of an object, or the goals of a policy. In everyday language, Zweck refers to the intended result, while Zwecke denotes multiple such aims. The term appears across domains: in law and policy to describe the authorized or intended purposes of an action; in business and project planning to define the aims of a program or initiative; and in philosophy to discuss teleology and the relationship between ends and means.

In data protection and regulatory contexts, the phrase "Zwecke der Verarbeitung" specifies the purposes for which personal data are processed; the principle of Zweckbindung (purpose limitation) requires that data not be processed for purposes incompatible with those stated. In ethical and political discussions, Zwecken can be used to analyze whether actions serve legitimate or valuable ends and how those ends relate to the means employed to achieve them. Common collocations include "für verschiedene Zwecke," "Zwecke der Forschung," and "Zwecke der Zusammenarbeit."

The term is native to the German language and is usually translated into English as "purposes" or "goals." While it is not commonly used as a stand-alone term in English texts, it appears in bilingual writings and legal documents that discuss the purpose limitation principle and related concepts.