purposefully

[ pur-puhs-fuh-lee ]

adverb

1. in a determined or resolute way:

   Many runners break down in the marathon’s second half, but I stayed positive as I painfully and purposefully placed one foot in front of the other.

2. in a thoughtful and focused way, with a serious desire to accomplish something:

   The Family Fun Cooking Classes are designed to educate, but more importantly, to encourage adults in our community to purposefully spend time with young people.

3. with intention; deliberately; purposely:

   He maliciously and purposefully slammed the car door on my foot, resulting in a fracture.

Word History and Origins

Origin of purposefully¹

purposeful ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

When Google said it was offering ad credits to SMBs affected by Covid-19, the company was being purposeful, yes – and at the same time, Google was protecting its base of future ad revenue.

From Search Engine Land

Any impact a movie has is the result of an artist choosing to look past the end of their own nose and do something vulnerable, purposeful, and risky.

From Vox

Eye rolls, strategic slumps, purposeful notetaking, and other well-worn tools of board room persuasion apparently lose their power over Zoom.

From Fortune

While many companies talk about culture or being a family, Mann is purposeful in creating opportunities to make the culture shine through and make you feel like family.

From Outside Online

With two inches of additional height from the suspension, larger tires, and the wider track, the Land Cruiser looks much more purposeful.

From Outside Online

“I want to try to live my own values as consciously and purposefully as I can,” Booker told me in a phone interview.

From The Daily Beast

The device itself and connecting app was purposefully designed to be simple.

From The Daily Beast

She details the time Biggs purposefully hit on her friend, Simone, to determine her loyalty in “Chicks Before Dicks.”

From The Daily Beast

And then there is the slaughtering of sheep, some killed purposefully and others at the hand of an unknown “beast.”

From The Daily Beast

There is one additional step of not doing something purposefully gratuitous, you know, really thinking, “Did we earn this moment?”

From The Daily Beast

David Houston walked purposefully along the pavement, his hand jammed deep in his overcoat pockets.

From Project Gutenberg

He felt Janice turn and run purposefully through the darkness toward the second 'copter.

From Project Gutenberg

He came quickly and purposefully, and he was Mr. Schultz—none other.

From Project Gutenberg

It is well to sleep intelligently, purposefully, knowing what you do it for.

From Project Gutenberg

Drawing long, slow breaths, she seemed purposefully to be gaining strength to speak.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• actively
• boldly
• eagerly
• earnestly
• firmly
• forcefully
• healthily
• passionately
• quickly
• resolutely
• robustly
• sincerely
• strenuously
• wholeheartedly
• zealously