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 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 This kind of purposeful neglect of the duties of one’s office is precisely an offense for which impeachment is a constitutional remedy. The Editors, National Review, 12 Jan. 2024 Employees and recruits increasingly want a hybrid home-and-office work model, including purposeful work with learning opportunities. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024 But on pitches that missed the heart of the zone Friday, Ohtani either laid off — a rare trait Ebel said spoke to the hitter’s efficient approach and purposeful work ethic — or made a quick and powerful adjustment in the box, sending them sailing through a bright morning sky all the same. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Customers can easily peer into the kitchen, and that’s purposeful, Harris said. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 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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