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 Great Replacement is a white nationalist conspiracy theory that claims there's a deliberate plot to replace white Americans with non-white immigrants through immigration and higher birth rates.—
Philippa Pham Hughes,
Time,
11 July 2025
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These incidents—stemming from deliberate choices about training and system prompts—represenmt fundamental management and implementation issues that, so far, no fancy-looking test-taking benchmarks have been able to capture.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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An adult female and a 16-year-old male were also found shot at the location, but were conscious.—
Christina Shaw,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2025
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Baseball bats aren't the only thing Colt is good at picking up, and he could be considered environmentally conscious.—
Liliana Fannin,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Such findings have almost always been resolved through voluntary resolutions between schools and the federal government.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
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To that end, the feds can often compel witnesses to talk and share evidence (in contrast, the NBA relies on the voluntary cooperation of people outside the league).—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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From staying focused on real problems to designing flexible business models, small but intentional decisions along the way to launch can make all the difference.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Again, all of those things could be inadvertent or intentional.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Christensen’s unique trick is also proof that a makeup product doesn’t have to just be used for its singular, intended purpose, which reminds us of Salma Hayek’s hack for covering gray hairs.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
18 June 2025
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However, in a complex system with multiple centers of power and influence, this approach encountered immediate resistance from other control figures like Marco Rubio and Kash Patel, ultimately fading away without achieving its intended purpose.—
Dr. Alex Gold,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Lawson will play Sarah Silver, the strong willed and decisive Superintendent in the Boston Police Department who is Lena’s stepsister.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
2 June 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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