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

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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 This chain of reasoning purposefully stokes fear in the hearts of Broward citizens. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 Seeking to acquire as wide a tent of support as possible, Student List purposefully left its position on most critical issues outside of corruption vague and noncommittal. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026 Released purposefully two weeks before the election, the drama has garnered 150,000 admissions in Israel — a high tally for a non-Hollywood movie in the small country, and a number that could have given Netanyahu a few more key seats. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 Shamefully, there is a history in this country of purposefully doing this to Black communities and those of other minority groups. — Dan Lipinski, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026 Eisenkot believes Netanyahu has purposefully made that process harder. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026 Second, Gerwig's preferred version of the story seems to purposefully remove the underlying meaning of it, of Lewis' work and the religious influence behind it. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Leatherman Next, Leatherman installs a sheepsfoot blade purposefully shaped for working like a small kitchen utility knife. — New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026 This fall the classic lady jacket is getting a modern makeover, with purposefully shrunken silhouettes emerging as one of the season’s biggest outerwear trends. — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
  1. intentionally
  2. hard
  3. deliberately
  4. intensively
  5. purposely
  6. diligently
  7. intensely
  8. intently
Adverb
  • When over half of shoppers intentionally provide proxy emails or fake numbers to avoid spam and data exposure, brands end up building marketing strategies on flawed, unresponsive databases while alienating distrustful consumers.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Matthew O’Brien told jurors that surveillance images, cellphone location records and fire science would establish that Rinderknecht intentionally ignited brush on a Pacific Palisades hillside in the first minutes of New Year’s Day 2025.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of intentionally
Adverb
  • That level of detail is what makes a modern invite harder to fake and gives guests the confidence to say 'yes' without second-guessing.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Randle offered a more useful explanation than simply demanding that everyone play harder.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • Rather than mimicking a sneaker or a loafer, the Gardana leans into a deliberately odd silhouette.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, despite strikes regularly hitting apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of deliberately
Adverb
  • They are packaged attractively, marketed intensively and intended to displace other food groups.
    — Garrett M. Broad, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Newsom, by contrast, may need to begin campaigning intensively after leaving office rather than wait for Harris’s decision.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensively
Adverb
  • While the citations described dangerous driving, the murder charges will require the prosecution to prove that Battiloro purposely caused the deaths, Bramnick said.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Ryu knows the real truth about Ken but keeps it to himself and has become a loner, a man purposely hiding from his past cooking up a new identity in the food world.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of purposely
Adverb
  • Our detectives are working diligently with the community to monitor these large-scale gatherings to try and stop them from becoming violent incidents.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In an update, King said that his investigators were working diligently to learn what led to the death of 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem onboard the ride, and will continue to review the evidence, equipment, and relevant documentation.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of diligently
Adverb
  • The sole performer who survives this chapter is Miguel Bernardeau, intensely charismatic as the physically frail but spiritually fortified Rafael.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
  • An intensely chameleonic actress unafraid to go big, Piper has never had the largest footprint in the feature space.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of intensely
Adverb
  • Brian Gordon has been named executive producer and head of live content at PGA Tour Studios, the latest sign of how the golf organization is focusing more intently on controlling more of its content.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Nakira’s mug shot showed a young Black woman with dark hair gathered at the nape of her neck, green eyes staring intently into the camera.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of intently

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purposeful
purposefully
purposefulness
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Cite this Entry

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

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