on purpose

Idioms

Deliberately, intentionally, as in He left the photo out of the story on purpose . Shakespeare's use of this idiom was among the earliest; it appears in The Comedy of Errors (4:3): “On purpose shut the doors against his way.”
accidentally on purpose . Seemingly accidentally but actually deliberately, as in She stepped on his foot accidentally on purpose . This generally jocular phrase was first recorded in 1862.

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.

"I bawled, I cried, and asked God why. I'd taken care of people my whole life. God told me he didn't have me there as punishment, but on purpose."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Others theorized that Epstein was spelling incorrectly on purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

If a professional boxer loses a fight on purpose, it’s called a “dive” or “tanking” and it is illegal.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

If you’re trying to get excited about vegetables, give yourself permission to make them delicious on purpose.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Were they hidden back there by accident or on purpose?

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

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