purposeful
Americanadjective
-
having a definite purpose in view
-
fixed in one's purpose; determined
Usage
Purposefully is sometimes wrongly used where purposely is meant: he had purposely (not purposefully ) left the door unlocked
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of purposeful
Explanation
Something purposeful is done on purpose: it's meant to achieve an aim. Lots of things happen accidentally or randomly, but other things have a purpose. Such things can be called purposeful. Going to college, starting a family, giving to a charity, and adopting a dog are all purposeful acts. People have a reason for doing them, and they want to accomplish something specific. Purposeful things are thought-out and intentional.
Vocabulary lists containing purposeful
Unit 1: Telling Details
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myPerspectives 8.3
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"A Village After Dark" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The sight of the centre-backs standing tall, studs on the ball, waiting for the opposition forwards to become impatient before closing them down felt unnatural but it was purposeful.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
But the sinus’s drainage pathways go direct into the nose, making it prone to regular blockage and infection, a developmental byproduct rather than a purposeful adaptation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Second, it hollowed out Congress’ power to enforce our constitutional promise of racial equality at the polls, insisting that Congress lacked the power to do more than prohibit purposeful racial discrimination.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
The fact that that was so purposeful, that I understood so deeply what it was to be a patient, what it was to be terrified going into the emergency department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
They stood before the locks, trying to look purposeful, until Tendai offered to do the job.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
