purposive

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈpɝpəsɪv/ UK /ˈpɜːpəsɪv/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
having or showing conscious purpose; deliberate

Their migration is purposive, guided by changing seasons.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having or showing conscious... purposeful deliberate intentional teleologicalgoal-directed

Opposites

aimless purposeless random

Word family

Derived forms purposivelypurposiveness

Related forms purpose purposeful propose

Etymology

From purpose + -ive; purpose comes from Old French porpos ('aim, intention'), from porposer, ultimately from Latin proponere ('to set forth').

porpos Old French proponere Latin ponere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

# purposive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈpɝpəsɪv
**IPA (UK):** ˈpɜːpəsɪv

## Meanings
1. having or showing conscious purpose; deliberate

## Examples
- Their migration is purposive, guided by changing seasons.

## Synonyms
- purposeful
- deliberate
- intentional
- teleological
- goal-directed

## Antonyms
- aimless
- purposeless
- random

## Derived Forms
- purposively
- purposiveness

## Related Forms
- purpose
- purposeful
- propose

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: porpos
- Root: proponere
- Root: ponere

## Etymology
From purpose + -ive; purpose comes from Old French porpos ('aim, intention'), from porposer, ultimately from Latin proponere ('to set forth').

## AI Etymology
Purposive is from purpose + -ive; purpose comes from Old French porpos ('aim, intention'), from porposer, ultimately from Latin proponere ('to set forth'). Important recorded forms include porpos (Old French), proponere (Latin), and ponere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers having or showing conscious purpose; deliberate. The wider family includes derived forms such as purposively and purposiveness and related words such as purpose, purposeful, and propose.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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