Synonyms
Examples of purposely in a Sentence
the real estate agent purposely withheld information that would have discouraged us from buying the property
Recent Examples on the Web
Allen purposely over-enunciated on the vocals to make certain that the message connected with the listener.
—
Tom Roland, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2023
The auto lending arm of Japanese automaker Toyota illegally added insurance products on car loans, then purposely made removing those policies difficult for thousands of borrowers, a federal consumer watchdog agency said Monday.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
The gold-standard study, called a human challenge study, involves purposely giving people a dose of the pathogen.
—WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023
This is another teaching point about slavery and how plantation owners purposely kept enslaved Black people illiterate, and that was a way to keep them from resisting.
—Audarshia Townsend, Parents, 17 Nov. 2023
And because blue cats were purposely introduced in Virginia decades ago to boost recreational fishing opportunities, nobody wants to talk about how that was ultimately a boo-boo.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 16 Nov. 2023
Some, like Andy or his wife (Marling), are purposely hard to read, given that their smallest interactions reek of performativity.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Nov. 2023
Whether doing dumb impressions (my brother) or finding the humor in the cruel injustice of adulting (me); acting as joke-provider or purposely looking for something to laugh at.
—Emma Firth, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2023
You are purposely ostracized, excluded from important meetings and email chains, belittled in public with intimidating and aggressive behavior and are not provided psychological safety.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
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Tom Roland, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2023
The auto lending arm of Japanese automaker Toyota illegally added insurance products on car loans, then purposely made removing those policies difficult for thousands of borrowers, a federal consumer watchdog agency said Monday.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
The gold-standard study, called a human challenge study, involves purposely giving people a dose of the pathogen.
—WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023
This is another teaching point about slavery and how plantation owners purposely kept enslaved Black people illiterate, and that was a way to keep them from resisting.
—Audarshia Townsend, Parents, 17 Nov. 2023
And because blue cats were purposely introduced in Virginia decades ago to boost recreational fishing opportunities, nobody wants to talk about how that was ultimately a boo-boo.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 16 Nov. 2023
Some, like Andy or his wife (Marling), are purposely hard to read, given that their smallest interactions reek of performativity.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Nov. 2023
Whether doing dumb impressions (my brother) or finding the humor in the cruel injustice of adulting (me); acting as joke-provider or purposely looking for something to laugh at.
—Emma Firth, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2023
You are purposely ostracized, excluded from important meetings and email chains, belittled in public with intimidating and aggressive behavior and are not provided psychological safety.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purposely.' 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
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of purposely was
in the 15th century
Articles Related to purposely
Dictionary Entries Near purposely
Cite this Entry
“Purposely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposely. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
purposely
adverb
pur·pose·ly
ˈpər-pəs-lē 
: with a clear or known purpose
Legal Definition
purposely
adverb
pur·pose·ly
: with a deliberate, conscious, or express purpose : intentionally
More from Merriam-Webster on purposely
Nglish: Translation of purposely for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of purposely for Arabic Speakers
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