Definition of purposely
: with a deliberate or express purpose
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Examples of purposely in a Sentence
the real estate agent purposely withheld information that would have discouraged us from buying the property
Recent Examples of purposely from the Web
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Authorities allege Buchanan purposely waited before alerting the mother and police, the news station said.
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The humanitarian wing of the party would prefer a more lenient approach to those risking their lives to reach Italian shores, but the party’s leadership has been purposely vague on the issue, preferring to leave the migration issue to others.
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The party remained purposely vague during the campaign to attract votes on the left and right, but Mr. Salvini did the opposite.
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There are also new cocktails that purposely cater to every weakness.
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The former Sevilla defender appeared to purposely stand on Neymar's ankle, but the 26-year-old's reaction to the incident prompted Mexico boss Osorio to dedicate a large portion of his post-match comments to the PSG star's antics.
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Jonathan and the other orphans from Colombia who arrived for a summer in Washington seven years ago were purposely not told the real reason for their visit, to potentially find families.
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During college, an acquaintance who took her wrinkle-fighting regimen very seriously told me she purposely didn’t spend much time outside.
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Bears who are fed, either accidentally or purposely, by humans can become desensitized and unafraid to approach people, DEEP said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purposely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of purposely
15th century
purposely Synonyms
Synonyms
advisedly, consciously, deliberately, designedly, intentionally, knowingly, purposefully, purposively, willfully, wittingly;
Antonyms
inadvertently, unconsciously, unintentionally, unknowingly, unwittingly;
Near Antonyms
Phrases
on purpose;
PURPOSELY Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of purposely for English Language Learners
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: in a way that is planned or intended : in a deliberate way
PURPOSELY Defined for Kids
Definition of purposely for Students
: with a clear or known aim
- Timothy was not purposely trying to frighten me …; he was just being honest.
- —Theodore Taylor, The Cay
Law Dictionary
purposely
adverb
pur·pose·ly
legal Definition of purposely
: with a deliberate, conscious, or express purpose : intentionally
Learn More about purposely
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for purposely Spanish Central: Translation of purposely Nglish: Translation of purposely for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of purposely for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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