-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
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
While aviation officials don’t believe Russia is purposely targeting foreign civilian aircraft, the interference still poses a safety risk.
—Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
But purposely getting out there on rainy days has a few real advantages, too.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 18 Apr. 2024
Designers want the building to soar 1,907 feet high, a number that purposely coincides with the date Oklahoma became a US state.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The voting machine company accused the networks of purposely promoting the lies to keep their disappointed Trump-supporting viewers from tuning out.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Snow purposely curated reels of photographs of the characters having Instagram-worthy double dates with their friends, played by Francesca Reale and Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), to prove this point.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
According to the Mayo Clinic, a factitious disorder is a mental disorder when someone purposely makes themselves or someone else sick.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration is worried that Beijing is purposely flooding global markets with cheap and heavily subsidized green technologies, like electric vehicles and solar panels.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Critics accuse Cannon of — purposely or not — playing into Trump’s strategy of delaying the trial until after the election.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
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 27 Apr. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share