purposefully
Americanadverb
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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.
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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.
-
with intention; deliberately; purposely.
He maliciously and purposefully slammed the car door on my foot, resulting in a fracture.
Etymology
Origin of purposefully
Compare meaning
How does purposefully compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you do something in a determined or deliberate way, you do it purposefully. If you finished your brother's favorite cereal yesterday, he may purposefully shake the last of your favorite kind into his bowl this morning. Acting purposefully means doing something on purpose, or in a way that demonstrates your sense of resolve. Soldiers trudging purposefully into battle are determined and have their eyes wide open — they know what they're doing. If you purposefully avoid talking about politics with your family during the holidays, that means you intentionally steer clear of controversial topics.
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 evidence presented at trial that executives purposefully designed the platforms to be addictive was weak.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
To visually represent the protagonist's mental breakdown without making the single-room setting feel static, Chuprina says that he purposefully changed the camera lenses as the story progressed.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
We did it purposefully or passively, via index funds.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
There is purposefully no adherence to historical accuracy, particularly in the costumes.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
“Whatever,” I said, flopping on the couch next to Grandma and purposefully knocking a box of lights and tinsel off the corner of the coffee table with my foot.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
