purposive

CEFRC1

/ˈpəːpəsɪv/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Done with a particular purpose or goal in mind.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Done or performed with a conscious purpose or intent.

Examples

  • These studies make use of purposive sampling.

  • As we saw in our discussion of the FAKE GUN example in chapter 19, there are natural dimensions to our categories for objects: […] purposive, based on the uses we can make of an object in a given situation.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Pertaining to purpose, as reflected in behaviour or mental activity.

  2. Serving a particular purpose; useful; adapted to a given purpose, especially through natural evolution.

  3. Pertaining to or demonstrating purpose.

More examples

In context

  • Irresistably it came to me again that beauty, far from being wasted, was purposive, that this purpose was of a redeeming kind, and that some one who was pleased co-operated with it for my personal benefit.

  • The world was generally agreed to be a purposive one, responsive to the wishes of its Creator […].

  • Ursula could not believe the air in her nostrils. It seemed conscious, malevolent, purposive in its intense murderous coldness.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In the project, her blank actions were all directed toward achieving a single clear goal.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From purpose + -ive. Compare purpositive.