purposely
adverb
OTHER WORDS FROM purposely
un·pur·pose·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH purposely
purposefully purposelyWords nearby purposely
VOCAB BUILDER
What does purposely mean?
Purposely is used to describe an action done intentionally, deliberately, or for a specific reason.
The word purposefully means in a determined way or in a way that’s full of purpose. It should not be used to mean intentionally or deliberately.
Example: I show up late to parties purposely so I’m not the first one there.
Where does purposely come from?
The first records of purposely come from the late 1400s. It’s the adverb form of the noun purpose, meaning “a reason,” “intended result,” or “goal.” (The adverb-forming suffix -ly is usually added to adjectives, but in this case it’s added to a noun.)
When purposely means “intentionally” or “deliberately,” it’s synonymous with the phrase on purpose. It’s often used to indicate that an action was not accidental. Sometimes, it might even imply that an action was malicious, meaning it was done to harm someone, as in You purposely left that there so I would trip over it!
Purposely is also used to emphasize that an action was done with a specific purpose, as in All the paintings have been positioned purposely to recreate the original state of the collection.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to purposely?
- purpose (noun)
What are some synonyms for purposely?
What are some words that share a root or word element with purposely?
What are some words that often get used in discussing purposely?
What are some words purposely may be commonly confused with?
How is purposely used in real life?
Purposely is often used when talking about people’s intentions. It’s less commonly used than synonyms like intentionally, deliberately, and on purpose.
do you ever be extra boring purposely so that people will leave you alone
— 𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔫𝔞⁷🦋 (@__fatcheeks) May 13, 2020
People who call you on WhatsApp are purposely trying to be inconvenient
— Fintan Tarantino (@Fionnanof17) May 15, 2020
Mycenean Greeks buried their dead into beehive tombs. Those tombs are built in a way that purposely looks like a beehive. It consists if stone arranged to imitate the shape, which is left to be overgrown by vegetation. Like the barrows of Northern Europe, before the excavations.. pic.twitter.com/eSbzJcGecs
— Pallando the Blue (@KomninosM) May 13, 2020
Try using purposely!
Which of the following words would NOT be used to describe an action that was done purposely?
A. intentional
B. deliberate
C. accidental
D. conscious