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
  • The design is open and clean, with a deliberate choice to draw the surrounding scenery deep into the interior of the home.
    — Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
  • Prosecutors call Hearn’s actions a deliberate, violent act causing more than $1,000 in damage, and his attorneys denounce the case as an alarming misuse of government power.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of deliberate
Adjective
  • With that mechanism scaled back, the credibility of voluntary disclosure now rests on the quality of what sits underneath it.
    — Joel Carboni, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Microsoft in April offered voluntary retirement to 7% of its US staff and said on Monday that more than 30% of eligible employees chose to participate.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of voluntary
Adjective
  • As fresh visual information reaches the brain, these models are updated almost instantaneously, allowing movements to be adjusted before conscious awareness has caught up.
    — Michelle Spear, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
  • Budget-conscious users may find PocketGuard's free version too restrictive.
    — Catherine Collins, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of conscious
Adjective
  • The more intentional your choices, the more high-end your bathroom will feel.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026
  • Ronaldo’s elbow looked far more intentional, and egregious, than Balogun’s play that happened in the context of a player battling for a ball against an opponent with his foot.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of intentional
Adjective
  • If the device experience fails, the software running on it rarely delivers its intended value.
    — Damini Sood, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The plaintiffs have also accused Bayer of negligence and misrepresentation of Roundup's safety in its marketing, and have alleged that the product was defective for its intended purpose.
    — Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 June 2026
Definition of intended
Adjective
  • Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • Meanwhile, gracious but iron-willed family matriarch Claudine works tirelessly behind the scenes to hush up family scandals.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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