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.
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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.
Anya says she used to wonder what would have happened if she had not stopped by the agency that day, but now she believes she was purposefully targeted.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The failure of Italy’s national team to qualify for the World Cup, for the third time in a row, is such an embarrassment in this soccer-mad country that Italians are purposefully ignoring it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Oil producers didn’t purposefully create this architecture to benefit the U.S.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
If we had, it might have come with a purposefully incomprehensible slogan, absent any sound or fury but definitely signifying nothing.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
We couldn’t hurry because of the wagon, so he soon overtook us and walked purposefully down the street ahead as though he knew exactly where he was going.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
