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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
Bernick says the act was purposely written to be sweeping and broad in scope.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
Given the current turbulent DEI environment, there’s much at stake in terms of the liability exposure and reputation of the company and its officers and directors should the company make an uninformed or purposely controversial decision.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
The Traitors purposely put one of their own in one of the coffins in order to throw everyone off the scent.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2025
As a result, they're now purposely caught and sold alive in Vietnamese seafood markets, where they're known as bọ biển (sea bugs).
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2025
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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 30 Jan. 2025.
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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