as in deliberate
made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing
facial tics and other unconscious movements that one would not normally call purposive actions
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Recent Examples of purposive
Strengthening transcendence, with its associated behaviors of being purposive, inspired, optimistic, creative, and future-oriented, helps to broaden your perspective and see beyond the immediate challenges.
—
Mary Crossan, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
For Defoe, meaning is purposive and theological, purposive because theological.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022
Sporadic outbursts of feeling are converted into purposive and unremitting activity.
—Aldous Huxley, Harper's Magazine, 17 Aug. 2021
In this sense, history is not only rational but also providential: designed, purposive, teleological.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Mary Crossan, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
For Defoe, meaning is purposive and theological, purposive because theological.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022
Sporadic outbursts of feeling are converted into purposive and unremitting activity.
—Aldous Huxley, Harper's Magazine, 17 Aug. 2021
In this sense, history is not only rational but also providential: designed, purposive, teleological.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposive
Adjective
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Going the extra mile should be thoughtful and deliberate, creating a lasting impact without breaking the bank.—
Jacob Orrin,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Investigators were left grasping at smoke, trying to make sense of a pattern that felt deliberate but remained elusive.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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And these attempts to defend history cannot take hold if the public remains conscious of what history actually is all about.—
Jeffery Vacante,
Hartford Courant,
10 June 2025
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His mom, Natalie Hernandez, said the project instills positive life lessons, and teaches kids to be environmentally conscious.—
Yvette Fernandez,
NPR,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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McMahon announced roughly half the agency's workforce would be eliminated through a combination of mass layoffs and voluntary buyouts.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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Jennifer Kellogg, who stayed with the couple the week of the killing, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, according to Antelope Valley Press.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Shortly after, Kehl would fall to his death at a neighboring building — police have yet to say if the fall was intentional or accidental.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2025
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By combining smart systems with intentional human touchpoints, the ProducifyX team combines speed with care in a way that clients say helps foster stronger matches and a more refined candidate experience.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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Under normal circumstances, detecting rashes in a small vaccine-safety study would represent a routine scientific setback, and prove that the trials served their intended purpose.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2025
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Uncontrolled access to huge volumes of data and autonomy can compromise an organization's security when AI agents turn rogue and deviate from their intended purpose.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Carnegie is convinced that sincerity is as easily willed as a ready smile and a memory for names.—
Ann Hulbert,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
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The entire texture of that life, its willed imposture.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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