purposeful

adjective

pur·​pose·​ful ˈpər-pəs-fəl How to pronounce purposeful (audio)
Synonyms of purposefulnext
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
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.
Its value just continues to be purposeful. Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 As the round progressed, DeChambeau’s body language went from purposeful to puzzled to downright peeved, which is something of a typical descent for DeChambeau. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 But the contrast between JWords’ rippling, purposeful arrangements and her affectless singing only highlights the weakness of the latter. Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026 The presence of gold suggests that these artifacts were owned by the elite, indicating the social class of the individual who deposited the rings in what appears to be a purposeful manner, as reported by Archaeology News. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for purposeful

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purposeful was in 1853

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Cite this Entry

“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposeful. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

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