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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Cannes got its own cliff-hanger ending on Saturday, the final day of the 78th film festival, when a power outage, apparently caused by deliberate sabotage, shut down the power grid serving the city and much of the surrounding region.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
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The most effective tech leaders develop broad expertise through deliberate exploration and interactions.—
Dennis Kozak,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Alonso was conscious of this when speaking on Thursday in Spain.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Yet their follow-up film, Bring Her Back, feels like a conscious swerve away from those roots.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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There were only five no-shows Tuesday for the Falcons’ voluntary camp, and Cousins was among them.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Another received 12 to 15 years for voluntary manslaughter.—
Melissa Noel,
Essence,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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But Dhillon said the Biden administration wrongly attributed disparities in the treatment of racial minorities with intentional discrimination.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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Cultivate ‘Living Intelligence’ Through Curiosity This requires intentional practice in balancing the tension between predictability and possibility.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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The proposal has been controversial among lawmakers and advocates who say the state shouldn’t dip into that money for anything other than its intended purpose.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2025
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Each project begins with a thorough technical and structural assessment of the cargo and its intended route.—
Umberto Cavallaro,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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The entire texture of that life, its willed imposture.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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