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.
In the age of artificial intelligence, there is the added advantage that the purposeful ambiguity of corporate jargon makes it confusing for large language models.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
“And we found it so meaningful and purposeful to be sure that there is a place to talk about it, to create with it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
A small share of companies offer a sabbatical — a long, purposeful break from work that generally lasts between six weeks and a year.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
Eligible studies involved planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful physical activity intended to improve physical and mental health.
From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026
Bees looked the same, and he had picked out the queen not because of her special stripes or even her size but because of the purposeful way she moved.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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.
