purposefully

adverb

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 States should step up their efforts to audit hospitals and nursing homes, to determine whether profits are being purposefully siphoned to related parties. — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Huerta, 18, is accused of purposefully running over Ramirez with her car in the early morning hours of July 26 in a parking lot along Caldwell Boulevard in Nampa. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026 The markets’ interpretation of the Fed’s interest-rate decisions has gotten cloudier because Warsh has purposefully chosen to give away less. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 Anthony Fauci misled the American people, repeatedly and purposefully. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 On Friday — two years to the day since the devastating Park fire ignited — a judge found Ronnie Stout guilty of purposefully starting the blaze. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 That progress is now being reversed, and reversed purposefully. — Christopher Racster, IndieWire, 23 July 2026 Hawley suggested another avenue to up the pressure on Republicans who are against it would be to hold more votes doomed to fail, a floor tactic Thune has purposefully avoided that would put vulnerable members such as Collins in a tough spot. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 23 July 2026 As Ackman marches purposefully into Central Park, New York’s crown jewel is noisy with the bustle of tourists, popcorn vendors, and horse-and-carriage drivers waiting for passengers. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
  1. intentionally
  2. hard
  3. deliberately
  4. intensively
  5. purposely
  6. diligently
  7. intensely
  8. intently
Adverb
  • Calls range from people accidentally slipping into the river and overturned kayaks to boating emergencies and people intentionally entering the water.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The institute intentionally allowed the models internet access and used them without certain safety filters to test their capabilities.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of intentionally
Adverb
  • Russia has clamped down hard on dissent since going to war in Ukraine in 2022.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts note that agricultural commodities such as cocoa, coffee and wheat are expected to be among the asset classes hardest hit by heatwaves.
    — , CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • The other two fires were also started by people, though not necessarily deliberately, investigators have said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Record-low water levels along the Danube River have exposed dozens of German military shipwrecks near the Serbian town of Prahovo, where an estimated 200 vessels were deliberately scuttled by retreating Nazi forces in 1944.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of deliberately
Adverb
  • Claude cannot have or raise kids—intensively or otherwise—or possess any insight into yours or mine, or know what your kid wants for dinner.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • The lower mowing ranges are commonly used for recreational turf areas that are more intensively managed.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 June 2026
Definition of intensively
Adverb
  • Many entries seem almost purposely crafted to inflame every lingering conservative grievance over the pandemic.
    — Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2026
  • On the flip side, that might fit better as a non-title feud, so that could mean that at WWE SummerSlam, either Rodriguez or Perez inadvertently, or perhaps purposely, costs Morgan the title.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of purposely
Adverb
  • His only son was stricken with polio and sat in a dark old house all day long diligently engraving seals.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Infurna said sometimes the biggest thing an individual can do is simply reach out and diligently pursue connection.
    — Taylor Seely, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of diligently
Adverb
  • Outside climate and fire scientists said the flash study made sense and reflects a world where hotter and drier conditions are making fires burn more often and more intensely.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • There’s less conclusive evidence that microdosing works the same way by engaging the same neuro-receptors, but less intensely.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensely
Adverb
  • Rather than using their music to chronicle grand, cinematic experiences, the duo intently gravitates toward the quiet moments that exist in between life’s victories and failures.
    — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • The footage shows the four royals intently following the final moments of the match and then bursting into a jubilant round of applause at the final whistle, hugging one another to celebrate the achievement of the team.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026
Definition of intently

Browse Nearby Words

purposeful
purposefully
purposefulness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on purposefully

Nglish: Translation of purposefully for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All