as in decisiveness
firm or unwavering adherence to one's purpose
approached the challenge with grim purposefulness
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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
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 final was 4-0, which undersold its decisiveness.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Following his Game 1 sluggishness, Wembanyama played with more aggression and decisiveness.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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This World Cup, like Yamal’s sentiments, reflects FIFA’s determination to chart a new course and, as its critics charge, a disregard for the sport’s past and its millions of fans.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
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The determination concludes a six-month investigation by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division into Davis Med’s admissions practices, which found the school guilty of violating a landmark 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned affirmative action in university admissions.—
Sophia Mandt,
The Washington Examiner,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Voter turnout was high for a primary election, and a significant share of voters cast ballots on or after Election Day, likely because many delayed making a decision in the governor’s race.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Stephenson is not prepared to go into too much detail, but a decision on his next step has to be made.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Ukraine is turning the tide with Ukrainian resolve and innovation.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
An appetite for playing too many games on home soil instead of sharpening resolve in hostile foreign venues.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefulness. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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