Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

by design

Idioms  

  1. On purpose, deliberately, as in Whether by luck or by design, his application was accepted. This term, originally put as on design, uses design in the sense of “plan.” [First half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The new AI model was described as being small and fast by design, capable of reasoning through complex questions in science, math and health.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

As its organizers explained to the Guardian, this is mostly by design.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

This ambiguity is, at least partly, by design.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

First, by design, annuities reallocate money from those who die early to those who live forever.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

As if by design, they both stopped at the same spot, above the half-submerged, rooty clump of a fallen tree.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.