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
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Adam Wharton, 22, is liked by people at United for his progressive passing and decisiveness on the ball.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Apple gets a new CEO who is expected to bring back Jobs-era decisiveness.—
Menaka Doshi,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But part of the reason is that even with our most precise and accurate measurements that lead to a determination of the gravitational constant, those various teams and methods haven’t converged on a single answer.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
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Dean was born in a small town in South Dakota, educated in a one-room schoolhouse, and through grit and determination built a small garbage business into Waste Management — a global company serving multiple continents with over $9 billion in revenue by his retirement.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Noun
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And Tuesday, Cypress was able to manufacture a run in the seventh to leave him with a no decision.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Parting ways with Morey was ultimately not an easy decision for the 76ers, but Philadelphia’s inability to take the next step in a constantly changing East played a significant role in the organization’s direction.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Because of my resolve on this, unlike that of our current House leadership, this campaign is also endorsed by Courage for Democracy.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefulness. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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