PURPOSEFULNESS Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

purposefulness

noun

as in decisiveness

firm or unwavering adherence to one's purpose approached the challenge with grim purposefulness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 purposefulness Yet his playing had an otherworldly serenity that contrasted with Williams’s gentle purposefulness. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026 This month also reconnects you with a sense of purposefulness. — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefulness

Noun

The window to capitalize on these moves is narrow, demanding precision and decisiveness.

— David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Cousins’ decisiveness and awareness are key traits Las Vegas wants Mendoza to observe and learn to emulate.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of decisiveness

Noun

But the investigation is ongoing, and no final determination has been made.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Colfax Mayor Caroline McCully said the opening represents the culmination of years of work and determination by people who believed in the project and the community.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of determination

Noun

The prediction, which is based on Gartner surveys and interactions with clients, makes a distinction between AI that can support decision making through insights, for example, and AI that can automate the decision making.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Kemigisa said that Oyo left behind a young son whose identity would be unveiled at the right time, casting doubt on the legitimacy of Nyabongo and the decision of the Babiito to choose him.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of decision

Noun

They were published in a series of articles by German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018, that gave insight into the City chairman's resolve for a legal battle.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Chicago has already reduced homicide and overdose rates; the same resolve can now target heart health.

— Garth Walker, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of resolve

Browse Nearby Words

purposefully

purposefulness

purposeless

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Purposefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefulness. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of purposefulness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes