purposeful

adjective

pur·​pose·​ful ˈpər-pəs-fəl 

1

: having a purpose: such as

a

: meaningful

purposeful activities

b

: intentional

purposeful ambiguity

2

: full of determination

was soft-spoken but purposeful

purposefully

ˈpər-pəs-fə-lē 

adverb

purposefulness noun

Synonyms

• resolute
• intent
• determined
• decisive
• positive
• confident

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 yacht builder appears committed to exploring quieter, more purposeful luxury over grandeur and traditional measures of scale. —Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Hers is a purposeful language, one that looks not just with attention but with sensual intention, and though awestruck, seeks to hold, even briefly, the unknowns of the energies that make any life. —Natalie Diaz september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025

Regular and purposeful improvements have been a constant factor in the life of LIGO, which consists of two detectors in Washington and Louisiana that can now measure distortions in spacetime that are 1/10,000 the width of a proton, or 700 trillion times smaller than the width of a human hair. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025

This is a great time to introduce self-care rituals that feel both playful and purposeful. —Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1