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
Relevance
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
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
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
Adjective
-
This reframes usage as deliberate practice rather than digital grazing.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
To this end, instead of complexity, the team showed that deliberate simplification (a minimalist molecule) is the key.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That means staying alert to how AI systems influence our thinking and making conscious choices about when and how to engage with them.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Sullivan believes Fruitist’s market opportunity is strong as consumers become more conscious about health and are willing to pay for premium products.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Code does not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary expatriation.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The 30-year-old accepted a voluntary provisional suspension on June 2, which will now expire on April 2, 2026 following the outcome of European football’s governing body.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As Platt reminds us, moving toward a healthier relationship with ownership means reclaiming our power by being intentional.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The researchers couldn’t fully separate the effects of intentional versus unintentional weight loss.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Beck took ownership of his two interceptions — one that came late in the first half with Miami trying to pad its lead before the break, the second which was tipped by Malachi Toney on its way to its intended target in Tony Johnson.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
-
To successfully operationalize GenAI, businesses must double down on focus—first, with FLMs and their domain-specific data training, and second, with focused domain usage, by defining knowledge anchors for intended use.—
Scott Zoldi,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Claiborne said the property was eventually willed to Vanderbilt University, which in turn sold it to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in 1968.—
Austin Hornbostel,
The Tennessean,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share