1
as in intentionally
with full awareness of what one is doing
he purposefully chose the more difficult route to the mountain summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hard
with great effort or determination
strode purposefully into the boss's office, determined to ask for a raise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purposefully
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Out in the middle of current-day Edwards Air Force Base — one of the largest airfields in the world, at some 480 square miles — a small team began the X-plane program, a series of experimental aircraft designed to travel faster, higher and (purposefully) more awkwardly than ever before.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The 1991 movie stars Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the one-time public defender who Cady haunts, blaming his long prison incarceration for rape on purposefully faulty defense tactics.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Many pointed out that the election date was chosen years ago, and that it was not chosen to purposefully conflict with the Passover holiday.
—Lauren Costantino
march 30, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Liz Truss, British prime minister for 49 days, is marching purposefully through the Gaylord Texan convention center’s corridors.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Look for ways to gamify tedious tasks or purposefully try to have a good attitude about upcoming chores.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Attorneys for Meta and YouTube argued their platforms aren’t purposefully harmful and addictive.
—Rufina Chow, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
Europe had famously fallen behind in science advancements by the Middle Ages, and the Spanish ruler’s court purposefully sought out and translated Islamic math, astronomy, and medical knowledge.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Out in the middle of current-day Edwards Air Force Base — one of the largest airfields in the world, at some 480 square miles — a small team began the X-plane program, a series of experimental aircraft designed to travel faster, higher and (purposefully) more awkwardly than ever before.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The 1991 movie stars Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the one-time public defender who Cady haunts, blaming his long prison incarceration for rape on purposefully faulty defense tactics.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Many pointed out that the election date was chosen years ago, and that it was not chosen to purposefully conflict with the Passover holiday.
—Lauren Costantino
march 30, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Liz Truss, British prime minister for 49 days, is marching purposefully through the Gaylord Texan convention center’s corridors.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Look for ways to gamify tedious tasks or purposefully try to have a good attitude about upcoming chores.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Attorneys for Meta and YouTube argued their platforms aren’t purposefully harmful and addictive.
—Rufina Chow, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
Europe had famously fallen behind in science advancements by the Middle Ages, and the Spanish ruler’s court purposefully sought out and translated Islamic math, astronomy, and medical knowledge.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
Adverb
-
Police said Ebert intentionally drove his car, struck the neighbor, and took off.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Mirman began his career in Hollywood as a stand-up comedian, known for his intellectual and often intentionally awkward style of comedy.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
They are being hit so hard, anybody would be negotiating.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
There is serious concern that a stoppage that costs games could dampen the enthusiasm the sport worked hard to rebuild.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The central allegation in the Dallas County case is that Morris and Gateway Church benefitted financially from concealing the abuse of Clemishire, and that the church deliberately issued false statements about the circumstances after Clemishire came forward with the allegations.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Lumières would remain comparatively grounded, sometimes working in what could be called actualities, other times in deliberately fictional sequences.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
There are many good reasons to intensively treat high blood pressure, but the benefits accumulate over many years.—
Mara Gordon,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Young people feel this most intensively.—
Stuart A. Spencer,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
And, mail-in ballots are purposely designed for fraud.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In its complaint, the state accused Meta of purposely designing features like infinite scroll and auto-play for videos to keep kids hooked on the apps, leading them into depression, anxiety, and self-harm.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Caleb practiced the Chappell Roan hit diligently with his piano teacher, Lori Stemmer, even rehearsing in his inflatable suit.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
For 10 years, Frances has worked diligently to become the perfect wife for Jo.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In India Dhurandhar’s intensely negative portrayal of Pakistan ignited a fierce debate.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Nonstick pans have become as intensely polarizing as a piece of cookware can be in recent years, as more research has been done into the impact of some of the chemicals used to make traditional nonstick coatings.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Dressed in beige prison outfits and separated from each other by their lawyers, Maduro and his wife wore headsets to hear the translation of the proceedings into Spanish and appeared to be listening intently as the arguments were presented.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As Truell takes a Zoom call, the image of Caro—legendary biographer of Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses, known for his exhaustive, decades-long research—looms over his shoulder, sweatered, bespectacled, writing intently.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
