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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Financial Times reported that journalists were having difficulty contacting sources on the ground, and Syrian activists accused the government of purposely cutting communication lines.
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The firecrackers were set off purposely as a distraction in a jewelery store grand theft.
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After missing the second, James purposely missed the third.
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Sheridan confirmed it was created in 2013 to purposely gather information on the Cardinal.
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The game and fish officer who responded said the woman had purposely been feeding a squadron of javelina at her home.
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More in Historically Speaking Andersen purposely broke with the old tales.
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Lawyers for a man seeking a new trial say west Georgia prosecutors purposely and systematically excluded black prospective jurors from the trials of black men facing the death penalty four decades ago.
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Several works by the graffiti artist Banksy have been painted over, accidentally or purposely, over the past decade.
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
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