purposing

1. 1
   noununcountable

   The act of forming a purpose or settling firmly on an intention.

   The purposing of long-term aims requires both patience and honest reflection.

   Before any action came the slow purposing of a clear direction.

   Similarformulation, setting

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of purpose.

   Note

   The -ing form carries both of purpose's verb uses. Used transitively, it takes an aim as its object or an infinitive after it (purposing a fresh start, purposing to expand). Used intransitively, it simply means having an intention. It can also stand for the obsolete sense 'to discourse', so in older writing it may mean talking. Once it takes a plural, purposings, it has become the noun for forming an aim.

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