purposeful

adjective

ˈpər-pəs-fəl How to pronounce purposeful (audio)
Definition of purposefulnext
1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 But the friends also recalled chance — or more purposeful — encounters in the years since. — Ben Paviour august 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Was that purposeful on your part, to try to show the other side? — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 At Brightview Mount Laurel, residents living with dementia grow herbs that are later used in the kitchen, turning sustainability into something tactile, purposeful, and deeply human. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 That anyone can find something purposeful that matters to them. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purposeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeful
  1. resolute
  2. deliberate
  3. intent
  4. conscious
  5. determined
  6. voluntary
  7. decisive
  8. intentional
Adjective
  • Morgan’s resolute denials pleased his family and friends, but in fact he was deeply rattled.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Cao’s projects are less expository than Farocki’s, less resolute in their theses.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of resolute
Adjective
  • There were two small red stripes on a sail, clearly deliberate but out of place.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Talking at the film’s press conference in Venice earlier, Moretti said his absence from from the festival had not been a deliberate slight but rather down to the timing for the shoots of his films.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of deliberate
Adjective
  • This convergence is most visible where customer segmentation and sales enablement align, outreach adapts as intent emerges, and sellers work alongside AI agents that maintain account context.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Kubrick honed his signature style and attention to detail here in a film that’s constantly twisting and turning, intent on knocking its audience off their feet.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of intent
Adjective
  • More generally, the movie, directed by Elegance Bratton, is about the historical context of this murder, the conscious and organized effort by white Southern citizens and officials to intimidate, persecute, and subjugate Black people.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Devin Oktar Yalkin About PhotoVogue PhotoVogue is a global Condé Nast initiative dedicated to supporting artists and shaping a more conscious visual culture.
    — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of conscious
Adjective
  • Perhaps as a response to those comments, Styles’ camp seems determined to emphasizing transparency about pricing, and to point out how economical tickets may be compared to other arena or stadium tours.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But many are also determined to embrace the coming days of celebration and reflection.
    — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of determined
Adjective
  • Colonizers call it voluntary emigration, but there is nothing voluntary about fleeing after your home has been bombed, your fields poisoned, your water cut off and your child buried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The News More than two dozen organizations from both the left and right are urging the White House to publicly release its voluntary AI security framework, per a letter shared first with Semafor.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of voluntary
Adjective
  • In hindsight, making a decisive call at 2-2, in the 55th minute, five minutes before 3-2, would have been prudent.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The factory should focus on customers for whom its automation creates a decisive advantage.
    — Dhanush Bakthavatchalam, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • Cut what isn’t delivering value or being used to its fullest potential, double down on what is and use those insights to finish the year strong while building a smarter, more intentional strategy for the year ahead.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The mother of two added that her decision to return was intentional.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of intentional

Browse Nearby Words

purposed
purposeful
purposefully
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Cite this Entry

“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeful. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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