purposeful

adjective

pur·​pose·​ful ˈpər-pəs-fəl How to pronounce purposeful (audio)
Synonyms of purposefulnext
1
: having a purpose: such as
a
: meaningful
purposeful activities
b
: intentional
purposeful ambiguity
2
: full of determination
was soft-spoken but purposeful
purposefully
ˈpər-pəs-fə-lē How to pronounce purposeful (audio)
adverb
purposefulness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of purposeful in a Sentence

a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator there's a difference between a purposeful lie and an accidental untruth
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pattern of being competitive had been indubitably laid into the foundations of each AGI, either by default or by purposeful intent. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 Having concrete objectives transforms a no-buy from a restriction into a purposeful journey. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 17 Mar. 2025 Being generous is a purposeful act, a voluntary desire to spread largesse. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025 Harden was purposeful with his play in going 14-for-24 from the field, six-for-13 from three-point range and 16-for-20 from the free-throw line for a Clippers team that has been in a tailspin since the All-Star break. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for purposeful

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purposeful was in 1853

Browse Nearby Words

purposedly
purposeful
purposeless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposeful. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of purposeful for Spanish Speakers

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