purpose (redirected from purposes)

accidentally on purpose (humorous)

if you do something accidentally on purpose, you intend to do it but you pretend that it was an accident. If I, accidentally on purpose, forget to bring her address with us, we won't be able to visit her after all.

at cross-purposes

if two people are at cross-purposes, they do not understand each other because they are trying to do or say different things but they do not know this. I think we're talking at cross-purposes here. You mean the old building, but I was talking about the new one.

to all intents and purposes

in all the most important ways. We've got a few odd things to finish, but to all intents and purposes the job is done. They redesigned the old model and created something which was to all intents and purposes a brand new car.

See also: all, intent

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at cross purposes

1. with different intentions. The two groups of advisors seemed to be working at cross purposes during this crisis.

2. in ways that are opposed to each other. The relief effort was characterized by a tendency to work at cross purposes instead of everyone working together.

See also: cross

for all intents and purposes

almost completely. Escape from that prison was, for all intents and purposes, impossible. A licensed physician's assistant is to all intents and purposes a doctor.

See also: all, intent

on purpose

intentionally. The idiot who set the fire on purpose is in jail, but that doesn't help the families who lost their homes.