purposive

adjective

ˈpər-pə-siv How to pronounce purposive (audio)
Definition of purposivenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposive
  1. deliberate
  2. voluntary
  3. conscious
  4. intentional
  5. intended
  6. willed
Adjective
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio also rejected Zelenskyy's claims that the disruptions to the system were deliberate.
    — Kristin Wright, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In the lobby, the beams and columns join with such deliberate overelaborations as to mock the simplicity of the overall building.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of deliberate
Adjective
  • Yes, indeed, although voluntary export restraints raise a series of technical issues.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The voluntary settlement agreement does not require a monetary payment, and the university does not admit to any wrongdoing or liability.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of voluntary
Adjective
  • Responding to the tough market, New York dealer Lauren Marinaro of Marinaro Gallery took a conscious decision to feature artworks under $10,000 from artists Ever Baldwin, Ridley Howard, Ron Isaacs, Ryan Johnson and Alessandro Teoldi.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Something that truly was almost seen [as] conscious, which is very hard for someone like Olivia, who believes in Jesus and the Bible.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of conscious
Adjective
  • Supreme Court justices will now consider whether a group claiming to be targeted by a race-neutral policy must show it was disproportionately harmed to prove intentional discrimination.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Election experts have said many instances of noncitizens registering to vote are a result of administrative error or confusion on the part of the immigrant — not intentional criminality.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of intentional
Adjective
  • However, these applications represent intended capabilities, not confirmed operational deployments.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The intended effect is to subtly improve definition in the jaw, cheekbones, and neck as laxity begins to set in.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of intended
Adjective
  • Originally unveiled at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show and put into production in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron was a moonshot project essentially willed into existence by Ferdinand Piëch.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Anyone who has a negative reaction to this is a weak-willed loser who has ZERO idea how bad Texan has become and is more than likely complicit in selling out our state.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of willed

Browse Nearby Words

purposing
purposive
purposively
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Cite this Entry

“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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