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 surprise that followed was more insidious: a slow and deliberate betrayal in court.—
Dylan Moore,
National Review,
1 Mar. 2025
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This condition is what philosopher Charles Mills, speaking of the American context, labeled epistemological ignorance—a deliberate unknowing, an insistence on the myth of white superiority, of white exceptionalism.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Your subconscious mind processes thousands of data points your conscious mind doesn't register.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Parade Budget conscious shoppers will find solace in the affordable price point and top-notch bra designs at Parade.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some bar owners had expressed concerns the program would be mandatory or would be used as a cudgel by the city to force changes to their businesses, but Alldredge stressed the program would be voluntary and would largely consist of things bars and restaurants already do.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2025
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Participation is voluntary, and patients can opt out at any time.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Whether the timing of the broadcast was intentional or not, Knauf was cautious in his wording about his time working with the Sussexes.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
Fox News,
26 Feb. 2025
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Earning admission to these and other competitive law programs requires intentional strategy and hands-on exploration.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The spacecraft then reached its intended orbit about 44 minutes later before establishing communication at 8:17 p.m. with mission controllers on the ground, according to Intuitive Machines.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
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Everything can still serve its intended purpose though.—
Tom Mylan,
Bon Appétit,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even more than his strong, octave-surfing Ontario accent, his willed congeniality—a mix of natural reserve and a morbid aversion to pretense—spoke to something in my bones.—
Michelle Orange,
Harper's Magazine,
14 Dec. 2023
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Read: The changing sound of male rage in rock music Underscoring his willed isolation is the fact that Fight Club intentionally seems to take place nowhere.—
Stephen Kearse,
The Atlantic,
15 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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