purposeful

adjective

pur·​pose·​ful ˈpər-pəs-fəl How to pronounce purposeful (audio)
1
: having a purpose: such as
a
: meaningful
purposeful activities
b
: intentional
purposeful ambiguity
2
: full of determination
was soft-spoken but purposeful
purposefully adverb
purposefulness noun

Examples of purposeful in a Sentence

a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator there's a difference between a purposeful lie and an accidental untruth
Recent Examples on the Web Gen-Zers want meaningful and purposeful conversations with their managers about balancing work responsibilities with their mental health. Tess Brigham, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 These six move each other through every critical juncture of the story, often led by Riddley’s sharp instincts, imbuing her character with purposeful and necessary strokes to challenge all who bear witness to her tactics. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 This involves setting a purposeful goal to create moments of calm amid life's demands. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2024 Marva Herndon, president of the school board, said the lack of funding from state lawmakers has been purposeful. Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 The designer, who wore an argyle sweater that looked like a collaboration with knitwear specialist Wolsey, is engaged in a process that generates tingles of ASMR satisfaction in order to achieve environmental self-enlightenment through purposeful repetition. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024 With everything at your fingertips, being mindful of your surroundings and ensuring each step is purposeful can lead to witnessing daily transformations. Benjamin Liong Setiawan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The gloves make the whole look feel purposeful and upscale, rather than tacked-on. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 Use your intelligence, agility and speed to hone your skills and make your life purposeful and entertaining. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purposeful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purposeful was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near purposeful

Cite this Entry

“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposeful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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