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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The deliberate elimination of gender-affirming care in many states is a serious human rights violation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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As the recovery needle for Chinook moves in the wrong direction, Katz said deliberate action is urgent.—
Alastair Bland | CalMatters,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The victim, a man in his 20s, was alert and conscious and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, Boisvert said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
-
First responders arrived at the scene around 10:03 a.m. to find Joseph conscious and alert, the sheriff's office said.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Washington Post reports that the Office of Personnel Management basically told HR officials across the government that the emails are voluntary and that the agency didn't plan to do anything with the emails that were submitted.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
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The 49ers’ voluntary offseason program got underway Tuesday, while the trio named above awaits contract extensions befitting their status as underpaid leaders on a franchise in flux.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This discipline of separating fact from opinion is needed to turn reactive patterns into intentional awareness.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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Small, intentional steps can lead to long-term stability.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For now, the most exclusive address in American diplomacy stands empty, its intended resident sidelined by the tough math of congressional politics.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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An average dE of below 2 indicates color accurate enough that a casual observer may be unable to distinguish any variation between the color on screen and the intended (source) color.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 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 1 May. 2025.
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