1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal
a soft-spoken but purposeful criminal investigator
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deliberate
made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing
there's a difference between a purposeful lie and an accidental untruth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purposeful
Regular and purposeful improvements have been a constant factor in the life of LIGO, which consists of two detectors in Washington and Louisiana that can now measure distortions in spacetime that are 1/10,000 the width of a proton, or 700 trillion times smaller than the width of a human hair.
—
Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
This is a great time to introduce self-care rituals that feel both playful and purposeful.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
His unimaginable situation leaves him with no obvious path forward — a purposeful choice by Ingelsby for a character who’s literally trained in trauma recovery.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Was that purposeful, or was that separate from the whole thing?
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purposeful
Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
This is a great time to introduce self-care rituals that feel both playful and purposeful.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
His unimaginable situation leaves him with no obvious path forward — a purposeful choice by Ingelsby for a character who’s literally trained in trauma recovery.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Was that purposeful, or was that separate from the whole thing?
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purposeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeful
Adjective
-
These days, Pynchon is a resolute New Yorker.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Their response to the player’s incendiary statement last week was to release their own extraordinary one and become even more resolute in their position regarding a transfer.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This reframes usage as deliberate practice rather than digital grazing.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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To this end, instead of complexity, the team showed that deliberate simplification (a minimalist molecule) is the key.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The challenge for leaders is to see the sign in the window, ask the right questions, and take responsibility for ensuring that what’s communicated matches intent.—
George Bradt,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Still, the soon-to-be former Prime Minister seems intent on using his message to return Japan to a more reconciliatory position before his departure.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Many multifamily operators are deeply brand-conscious.—
Tyler Christiansen,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Libra is, after all, the sign of the scales — a Cardinal energy that initiates connection while making the conscious effort to surround itself with beauty.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Saúl is a fixture at his father's bouts and already seems determined to follow in his father’s footsteps.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
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Her flippers, each more than two feet long, scooped out sand and flung it to her sides in slow, determined strokes.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Debtor filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Earlier this year, LNK International issued a voluntary recall of its Kirkland Signature Severe Cold & Flu Plus Congestion medication sold at Costco due to a batch mistakenly being released after it was rejected for potential foreign material contamination.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In a moment of fading political consensus, but accelerating real-world change, decisive leadership matters more than ever.—
Elisabeth Brier,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The poll found a majority or plurality of voters believe that Hochul works hard, demonstrates honesty, gets things done, provides decisive leadership, and cares about people—four categories where her numbers are up significantly from June 2024 (this is first time 'get things done' was asked).—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Two innings later, Kershaw hit Aaron Rowand — a beaning that was deemed intentional.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Leaders can schedule intentional slow phases after major sprints for reflection, skill-building, or lighter workloads.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purposeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeful. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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