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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

by design

Private equity is abstract by design; the role of these firms is hard to figure for anyone outside of the C-suite.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

"For every person under 18, the platforms must follow the principal of safety by design, no toxic or addictive features, no traps, etc," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

That’s partly by design: The company has been trying to juice anticipation by drip-feeding Sarti to U.S. bars, restaurants and stores since June.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

But that is by design, said INRIA's Serena Ivaldi, as the robots "have to act in human environments" without startling the people they help.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Or bring them closer, either by design or accident?

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• consciously
• knowingly
• pointedly
• purposely
• studiously
• voluntarily
• willfully