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 of purposeful

• 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

On the street, the Mazda3 hatchback carries itself with a restrained yet purposeful elegance. —New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2026

Besson takes real liberties with Stoker’s original saga too, hinting at a purposeful attempt to reframe Dracula as a sly romantic hero that winds up looking like just another ineffectual vampire movie instead. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026

King’s purposeful choke point continuously kept the school bus from reaching Wells’ children. —Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026

While each family member has a specific color palette, the characters' individual costumes are also purposeful. —Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1