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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
Although efforts in the coming weeks will be focused on the presidential election Nov. 5 — especially since so many productions nationwide purposely do not perform on election day — the vision for the initiative goes well beyond this upcoming balloting.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
But the most amusing part of the sketch was Grande singing purposely off-key, demonstrating the atonality of an amateur with her flat notes and lackluster delivery.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2024
The most impressive thing about the sketch is the purposely bad singing.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
The easiest way to achieve that terrible day would be to plan to spend all morning dealing with emails, purposely not pack yourself a nutritious lunch and refuse to excuse yourself from any meeting that is not relevant to you.
—Eran Mizrahi, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purposely
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 25 Oct. 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
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