purposive

Purposive is an adjective meaning having or done with a purpose; guided by intention rather than by accident. In general use, purposive contrasts with incidental or random behavior, but in scholarly and professional contexts it emphasizes deliberateness and goal-directed design. The noun form is purpose, while the adverb can be purposively or, less formally, purposely. The term derives from purpose with the suffix -ive, itself tracing back to Latin propositum, meaning “a thing proposed.”

In philosophy and social science, purposive is used to describe actions or behaviors that are directed toward specific objectives. Purposive or goal-directed action is a central concept in theories of rational behavior and in qualitative research methods. The term also appears in methodological phrases such as purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling approach in which participants are selected for their relevance to the research question rather than at random.

In law and policy, purposive interpretation (also called purposive construction) refers to interpreting statutes, contracts, or regulations to fulfill their underlying purpose or aim. This approach focuses on the legislative or normative aim of the instrument, often alongside textual meaning, and is common in many legal systems.