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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of purposefully
Matt ultimately decides to go with another director and purposefully buys Scorsese's script — meant to be his final film — with the sole intention of killing the project.
—
Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
But here, the outward charm feels hollow, purposefully so.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
There is a world in which the actress once known as America’s sweetheart can turn the tide her way, with voters nominating her for Best Actress as a vote of confidence toward her purposefully polarizing character.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
However, a source told The Mirror that the reconciliation is indeed happening between father and son in September, but William is purposefully avoiding his brother at all costs.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 29 Aug. 2025
Jim Heininger is the founder of Rebranding Experts, the only firm purposefully designed to rebrand organizations successfully.
—Jim Heininger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Their clashes are purposefully hectic and confused, the better for questioning rather than glorifying acts of violence.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Driving back toward downtown, purposefully over the Hoan Bridge, my Spotify seemed to understand the weight of the moment.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
But here, the outward charm feels hollow, purposefully so.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
There is a world in which the actress once known as America’s sweetheart can turn the tide her way, with voters nominating her for Best Actress as a vote of confidence toward her purposefully polarizing character.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
However, a source told The Mirror that the reconciliation is indeed happening between father and son in September, but William is purposefully avoiding his brother at all costs.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 29 Aug. 2025
Jim Heininger is the founder of Rebranding Experts, the only firm purposefully designed to rebrand organizations successfully.
—Jim Heininger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Their clashes are purposefully hectic and confused, the better for questioning rather than glorifying acts of violence.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Driving back toward downtown, purposefully over the Hoan Bridge, my Spotify seemed to understand the weight of the moment.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
Adverb
-
Underneath, pair the oversized trench coat with the Automet Sweatpants and the Smeng Crewneck T-shirt, a combo that feels like loungewear but looks intentionally minimal once the coat is layered on top.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ogles’ congressional campaigns have relied significantly on door knocking and financial support from Americans for Prosperity Action, intentionally keeping a lean campaign staff while relying on the group’s support.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
That looks like a different Caleb Williams to me, so Ben Johnson's coached him hard this offseason.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The mixer's bowl boasts a distinctive walnut shade and wood grain pattern, and its food-safe seal means the bowl works hard (and looks good doing it).—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Bluesky, part of the decentralized internet, is slower paced and caters to niche interests, rewarding internecine fights over minutiae, whereas X is deliberately chaotic, encouraging the gathering of follower-armies and ideological insult-comedy for an audience that may be largely made up of bots.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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People can deliberately cultivate more conscientiousness, boost their sociability or soften their neurotic edges.—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Teenagers, however, log on more frequently, engage more intensively and increasingly define their social identity through online interactions.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The impacts were greatest in occupations that used mathematics and computing intensively, such as software development, and much less in blue collar work and fields such as healthcare that were less prone to being automated with AI.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The new 12-night journey will launch in the summer of 2027 aboard the company's ice-breaking Le Commandant Charcot ship and is purposely designed to meet demand for a shorter cruise that still celebrates polar exploration, Ponant shared with Travel + Leisure.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Mile Elam, who had made the trip to West Tennessee from Bella Vista, Arkansas, purposely sat in a back row of the news conference as not to draw attention to himself.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The Royals demonstrated patience and diligently worked favorable counts before landing the knockout blow.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Since taking the role, Kennedy has worked diligently to dismantle the country's premier vaccination infrastructure, as well as directly hinder access to lifesaving shots.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Meditation is intensely personal.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Additionally, the server market is intensely competitive and somewhat commoditized, which may hinder profit growth even if sales continue to rise.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Caglianone, who sported a full beard, listened intently as questions came his way rapid-fire.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Also in 2018, JCPS passed its racial equity plan, with leadership focusing more intently on how students of color were being served across the system.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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