purposely

adverb

pur·​pose·​ly ˈpər-pəs-lē How to pronounce purposely (audio)
Synonyms of purposelynext
: with a deliberate or express purpose

Synonyms of purposely

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Examples of purposely in a Sentence

the real estate agent purposely withheld information that would have discouraged us from buying the property
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 museum in the book is a purposely generic version of a recognizable major art museum like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026 The company first disclosed in July that during a cybersecurity exam, a combination of its AI agents with internal safeguards purposely lowered escaped their testing environment through a previously unknown bug. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 In addition to freezing individual items, there are also several food items that are purposely made with the intention of remaining frozen until use. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Use your newfound time purposely, with projects or activities that are meaningful to you. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purposely

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purposely was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

purposelike
purposely
purpose-made
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purposely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposely. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

purposely

adverb
pur·​pose·​ly ˈpər-pəs-lē How to pronounce purposely (audio)
: with a clear or known purpose

Legal Definition

purposely

adverb
pur·​pose·​ly
: with a deliberate, conscious, or express purpose : intentionally
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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