purposeful

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adjective pur·pose·ful \ˈpÉ™r-pÉ™s-fÉ™l\

: having a clear aim or purpose

Full Definition of PURPOSEFUL

1

:  having a purpose: as

a :  meaningful <purposeful activities>

b :  intentional <purposeful ambiguity>

2

:  full of determination <was soft-spoken but purposeful>

— pur·pose·ful·ly \-fÉ™-lÄ“\ adverb

— pur·pose·ful·ness noun

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Examples of PURPOSEFUL

1. <a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator>
2. <there's a difference between a purposeful lie and an accidental untruth>

First Known Use of PURPOSEFUL

1853

Related to PURPOSEFUL

Synonyms

bent (on or upon), bound, decisive, do-or-die, firm, hell-bent (on or upon), intent, out, determined, resolute, resolved, set, single-minded

Antonyms

faltering, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, undetermined, unresolved, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed

Related Words

bitter, vehement; certain, cocksure, confident, positive, sure; earnest, serious; steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unswerving, unwavering; adamant, adamantine, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, obdurate, persistent, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, tenacious, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful)

Near Antonyms

distrustful, doubtful, dubious, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure; disinclined, indisposed, loath (also loth or loathe), reluctant