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
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.
This is a great time to introduce self-care rituals that feel both playful and purposeful. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025 His unimaginable situation leaves him with no obvious path forward — a purposeful choice by Ingelsby for a character who’s literally trained in trauma recovery. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025 Also, as part of the launch is a custom cooler that incorporate Jacquemus’s sculptural eye into purposeful design. Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Was that purposeful, or was that separate from the whole thing? Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025 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 9 Sep. 2025.

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