1
as in intentionally
with full awareness of what one is doing
he purposefully chose the more difficult route to the mountain summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hard
with great effort or determination
strode purposefully into the boss's office, determined to ask for a raise
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 purposefully
In the film, Laura is terrorized much more purposefully throughout the boat trip, leaving the guests increasingly concerned about her mental health.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Some believe the double movements serve to display dual time zones; others argue the second movement was purposefully engineered to track sidereal time (a timekeeping system used in celestial navigation).
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Maybe the purposefully ambiguous coda was concocted to prove some sort of Rashomon-style truth-is-subjective point.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, accusing him of purposefully igniting a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days and later exploded into the deadly Palisades Fire that devastated California.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
In early September, Jakarta police alleged that some TikTok users purposefully broadcast live during the violence to entice viewers into giving them gifts or virtual prizes that can be exchanged for cash.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable, and seriously durable.
—Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2025
The excavation process has been purposefully slow to avoid further collapse, and rescue forces have worked in shifts to carefully remove the debris.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Some believe the double movements serve to display dual time zones; others argue the second movement was purposefully engineered to track sidereal time (a timekeeping system used in celestial navigation).
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Maybe the purposefully ambiguous coda was concocted to prove some sort of Rashomon-style truth-is-subjective point.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, accusing him of purposefully igniting a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days and later exploded into the deadly Palisades Fire that devastated California.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
In early September, Jakarta police alleged that some TikTok users purposefully broadcast live during the violence to entice viewers into giving them gifts or virtual prizes that can be exchanged for cash.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable, and seriously durable.
—Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2025
The excavation process has been purposefully slow to avoid further collapse, and rescue forces have worked in shifts to carefully remove the debris.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
Adverb
-
The Girls Opportunity Alliance fund is intentionally designed to provide a range of support.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The Mariners intentionally walked Carpenter to load the bases with two outs in the 11th and escaped one of the game’s biggest situations when Gleyber Torres flied out to right field.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Nobody worked harder in practice, and that became contagious to his teammates.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The best curtains on Amazon are hard-working pieces of home decor.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The Tilly announcement struck many in the AI content community as deliberately provocative.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Some Democrats who know Jeffries well dismiss the idea that Trump is deliberately cold-shouldering Jeffries.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Hydrolyzed proteins replenish lost amino acids that intensively nourish and maintain hair in a healthy, balanced state.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Often, the soil was intensively and industrially farmed only a few years ago.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
One day, calling kids up to get pizza for a class lunch, the teacher repeatedly and purposely bungled her name.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
In fact, the camera almost seems to purposely tilt up to reveal the second exit sign above her head, as if to call attention to it.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Despite these challenges, dealers have demonstrated resilience by remaining open and working diligently around the clock to meet their customers' needs.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Law enforcement is working diligently to determine who is responsible, and they will be held accountable.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
2 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Whatever the state gathers—whether the innocuous, the personal, or the intensely political—could in turn be used for arrests, detentions, fines, disappearances, and much worse.—
Justin Sherman,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Despite his global acclaim, Krasznahorkai remains a private figure, describing writing as an intensely personal act.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The pet cam showed Rio laying on the floor, directly in front of the television, watching it intently.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share