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purposive

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adjective pur·po·sive \ˈpər-pə-siv, (ˌ)pər-ˈpō-\

Definition of purposive

  1. 1 :  serving or effecting a useful function though not as a result of planning or design

  2. 2 :  having or tending to fulfill a conscious purpose or design :  purposeful

purposively

adverb

purposiveness

noun

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Examples of purposive in a Sentence

  1. facial tics and other unconscious movements that one would not normally call purposive actions

First Known Use of purposive

1849

purposive Synonyms

Synonyms
conscious, deliberate, intended, knowing, purposeful, intentional, set, voluntary, willed, willful (or wilful), witting
Antonyms
nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional
Related Words
designed, planned; conscious; advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed; premeditated, premeditative, prepense; discretionary, elective, optional, volunteer
Near Antonyms
inadvertent, unwitting; accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random; aimless, desultory, purposeless; abrupt, impetuous, sudden; coerced, forced, involuntary; compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required; casual; extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditated

Learn More about purposive

  1. See words that rhyme with purposive Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for purposive

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Examples: purposive in a Sentence