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Synonyms
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
With purposely small crowds and high-end amenities, the lineup in the rural depths of Southern Appalachia included Black Pumas, Futurebirds, North Mississippi Allstars, Grace Bowers, American Aquarium, and more.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2024
His stories showed that drug companies purposely made eyedrops too big and set unnecessarily short expiration dates for drugs that were still effective and safe, leading to waste and driving up costs.
—Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 21 May 2024
Serling, for instance, purposely injected ideas about the Cold War and nuclear weapons into the film.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2024
There are towering white walls, which were purposely designed for the client’s impressive art collection.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for purposely
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purposely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Articles Related to purposely
Dictionary Entries Near purposely
Cite this Entry
“Purposely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purposely. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
purposely
adverb
pur·pose·ly
ˈpər-pəs-lē
: with a clear or known purpose
Legal Definition
purposely
adverb
pur·pose·ly
: with a deliberate, conscious, or express purpose : intentionally
More from Merriam-Webster on purposely
Nglish: Translation of purposely for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of purposely for Arabic Speakers
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