function vs purpose

function

noun
  • What something does or is used for. 

  • The physiological activity of an organ or body part. 

  • A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result. 

  • The role of a social practice in the continued existence of the group. 

  • An official or social occasion. 

  • A party. 

  • The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound. 

  • A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain. 

  • A professional or official position. 

  • A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance. 

  • Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant. 

verb
  • To have a function. 

  • To carry out a function; to be in action. 

purpose

noun
  • meaning for existing or doing something. 

  • Resolution; determination. 

  • Function, role. 

  • The end for which something is done, is made or exists. 

verb
  • To have or set as one's purpose or aim; resolve to accomplish; intend; plan. 

  • To have (an) intention, purpose, or design; to intend; to mean. 

How often have the words function and purpose occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )