purposively

adverb

Definition of purposivelynext
as in intentionally
with full awareness of what one is doing the Federal Reserve purposively controls the supply of money in order to keep a lid on inflation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposively
  1. intentionally
  2. deliberately
  3. purposely
Adverb
  • Flagg, a spokesman for the rival sports drink Gatorade, subtly — but intentionally — moved the cup out of the way.
    — Jeff Fedotin, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Boeing intentionally gave Barnett inaccurate, poor job reviews and less desirable shifts, according to the lawsuit.
    — CNN, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of intentionally
Adverb
  • Its communications are deliberately crafted to attract media coverage, further increasing pressure on victims.
    — Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • One example: In 2013, in the post-recession, the University of Chicago deliberately increased its debt while peer institutions, including Harvard, lowered theirs.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of deliberately
Adverb
  • Some of the little skate embryos were purposely paralyzed right before their joints would begin to cavitate.
    — Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
  • And his impulse was to build a show that felt purposely aimless.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of purposely
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.

Browse Nearby Words

purposive
purposively
purr
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purposively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposively. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All