1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal
a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deliberate
made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing
there's a difference between a purposeful lie and an accidental untruth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purposeful
Their presence reaffirms what ESSENCE Fest does best: creating space for progress, power, and purposeful connection.
—
Melissa Noel, Essence, 11 June 2025
Applying The Spirit Of The Interactive Process The ADA’s interactive process is rooted in purposeful communication.
—Seth Turner, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Some of the best storylines and gameplay have come from Heroes vs. Villains, Fans vs. Favorites, and David vs. Goliath, each with casting that felt purposeful.
—Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 9 June 2025
Others believe the show of force was an escalation of previous immigration enforcement operations in San Diego, and part of a purposeful effort by the Trump administration to send a warning to undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for purposeful
Melissa Noel, Essence, 11 June 2025
Applying The Spirit Of The Interactive Process The ADA’s interactive process is rooted in purposeful communication.
—Seth Turner, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Some of the best storylines and gameplay have come from Heroes vs. Villains, Fans vs. Favorites, and David vs. Goliath, each with casting that felt purposeful.
—Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 9 June 2025
Others believe the show of force was an escalation of previous immigration enforcement operations in San Diego, and part of a purposeful effort by the Trump administration to send a warning to undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for purposeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeful
Adjective
-
Like most political arguments, each stakeholder adopts a resolute adversarial position that disallows finding common ground.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
-
In statements reported by state media on Sunday, China’s top political adviser Wang Huning echoed Beijing’s position, calling for the promotion of national reunification with Taiwan and for resolute opposition to Taiwan independence.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, the change has occurred through the deliberate erosion of fundamental norms related to belonging and through the weaponization of once neutral institutions.—
ASHLEY J. TELLIS,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025
-
Without deliberate human judgment, AI will only amplify hustle habits that keep us busy with everything, rather than prioritizing the few things that truly matter.—
Melissa Daimler,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
President Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday that China can keep buying Iranian oil, a signal the U.S. was not intent on maximizing pressure on Iran's economy.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
-
Ergo, the footwear manufacturers who are intent on scaling operations using these machines aren’t doing so on a whim.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Paloma Wool Originating in Barcelona, Paloma Wool specializes in conscious garments and accessories to be worn as an art form, where getting dressed is not just a necessity, but an expression of oneself.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
24 June 2025
-
Much has been made about the conscious uncoupling of Devers and the Red Sox last Sunday.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ter Stegen is determined to stay at Barca, where he is settled on a personal level and ready to challenge for the No 1 spot.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
Set in the working-class outskirts of L.A., Lolita follows Jesús (Alexis Vazquez), an openly gay man recently released from prison after serving a nine-year sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, who is determined to reclaim his life and reunite with his daughter.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
In recent days, the U.S. began pulling some diplomats from Iraq’s capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.—
Christopher Bodeen,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
-
Four trans service members who are now in the process of separating said nothing about their decisions feels voluntary at all.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Iran came to Russia’s aid in its war with Ukraine, playing a decisive role through supplying the model for its cheap and effective Shahed drones, which Russia has used to significant effect.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
-
Yamamoto allowed eight runs in six innings across two regular-season starts last year against the Padres and then had a bad start in Game 1 of the NLDS (3 IP, 5 ER) before throwing five shutout innings in the decisive Game 5.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
But for him and many other faceless video creators, the tradeoffs are intentional.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Each intentional interaction builds a lasting structure, or building block, within, strengthening emotional intelligence, resilience, clarity and empathy.—
Chris Schembra,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeful. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share