PURPOSELY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does purposely mean? 

• PURPOSELY (adverb)
  The adverb PURPOSELY has 1 sense:

1. with intention; in an intentional manner

  Familiarity information: PURPOSELY used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PURPOSELY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

With intention; in an intentional manner

Synonyms:

advisedly; by choice; by design; deliberately; designedly; intentionally; on purpose; purposely

Context example:

I did this by choice

 Context examples 

Twice did I leave them purposely together in the course of the last morning, and each time did he most unaccountably follow me out of the room.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

His absence had been extended beyond a fortnight purposely to avoid Miss Crawford.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Buck had been purposely placed between Dave and Sol-leks so that he might receive instruction.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I could not allow myself to conceal that your sister had been in town three months last winter, that I had known it, and purposely kept it from him.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

All I had gathered from it amounted to this,—that there was a mystery at Thornfield; and that from participation in that mystery I was purposely excluded.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I had purposely misled them, that I might have the pleasure of taking them by surprise.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

In the attacks, someone purposely spread anthrax through the U.S. mail.

(Anthrax, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

She did not wish to speak of the pianoforte, she felt too much in the secret herself, to think the appearance of curiosity or interest fair, and therefore purposely kept at a distance; but by the others, the subject was almost immediately introduced, and she saw the blush of consciousness with which congratulations were received, the blush of guilt which accompanied the name of my excellent friend Colonel Campbell.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

"He comes from Mr. Pratt's purposely to see us. I WILL be calm; I WILL be mistress of myself."

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely broken up the card party, and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)