on purpose

Idioms  

1. 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.”

2. 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.

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Example Sentences

He says the creators are being "controversial on purpose" to generate more views, making him think it's "all a scheme" to make money.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 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

“Whenever you tell an old story, you change it, sometimes on purpose and sometimes in ways you don’t exactly control,” he writes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

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

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

The man who’d kicked the electronic device had done nothing but buy a little time for Finn, but maybe he’d done it on purpose.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix