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
The character dimension of transcendence underpins purposive leadership by supplying the steady, renewable energy that allows leaders to act with intention rather than impulse.
—
Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposive
Adjective
-
Her mother, a meticulous apothecary, left a notebook with deliberate mistakes.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Sabotage is the deliberate subversion of a nation’s resources.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With some companies pausing travel to risky areas until further notice, voluntary flight cancellations on Europe to Asia routes more than doubled in the first week of March, according to data from travel agency Perk.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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Overall, 92,000 jobs were lost, and the voluntary quitting rate dropped — seen as a measure of employees’ confidence in their ability to find new work.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the current inflationary environment, Food Lion’s focus on value and the strength of its private-label offerings are resonating with budget-conscious shoppers.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
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Over time, this balance becomes your default state rather than a conscious effort.—
Brendan Keegan,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The technology enables reliable operation when users are wearing gloves, improves performance in humid or wet environments, reduces false activations, and improves detection of intentional input.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The conversation continues to evolve as more viewers watch the video through streaming services, with reactions ranging from admiration to humor—suggesting that, intentional or not, the simplicity of the concept has become part of its appeal.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Prior to the translunar injection, the crew completed a perigee raise burn to position the spacecraft in the correct orbital geometry for the maneuver, ensuring the engine firing would place Orion precisely on its intended path.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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A little skin of the upper leg being shown outside of its intended context, that’s when the neighbors take it upon themselves to call her out of her name.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Power scored an Ivy League tournament-record 44 points and hit a clutch, season-saving three-pointer with 2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and willed Pennsylvania to an 88-84 win in the conference title game on Sunday.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
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In addition to Marmee, there’s Aunt March who serves as an even stronger willed maternal figure for the March sisters.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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