purposive
adjective
pur·po·sive
ˈpər-pə-siv 
(ˌ)pər-ˈpō-
(ˌ)pər-ˈpō-
1
: serving or effecting a useful function though not as a result of planning or design
2
: having or tending to fulfill a conscious purpose or design : purposeful
purposively
adverb
purposiveness
noun
Examples of purposive in a Sentence
facial tics and other unconscious movements that one would not normally call purposive actions
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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