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
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
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The tactic, analysts say, is deliberate – part of a broader effort to wear down Taiwan’s air force, degrade equipment and exhaust Taiwan’s personnel.—
Eryk Michael Smith,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Every detail feels deliberate yet easy and unforced.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Now, Stewart has made a conscious decision to go back to her natural color for fall 2025.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
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This is especially true with the sun entering Scorpio, and your socially conscious 11th house of associations, community and sense of belonging in the world.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Back in August, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor said roughly 300,000 federal workers would be gone from the government by the end of the year, noting that 80% of those departures were voluntary.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
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It is not accredited by any major zoo or sanctuary associations, which is voluntary and comes with stricter welfare and conservation standards.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Every frame of the film feels intentional, capturing the river and forests of the Amazon with great attention to the light and sounds of the region.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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That’s how intentional and curated the event felt.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That was a 109-mph missile over the center field fence, much higher than its intended target and hundreds of feet farther.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Ratified in 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment is short, a mere fifty words including the section headings, but with a large intended effect.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Given no choice, María Ángeles acquiesces to her daughter’s wishes and moves into the seniors’ home, where a hilarious exchange with a hairdresser wanting to chop off her long silver tresses typifies her iron-willed refusal to settle in.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Purposive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposive. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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