on purpose
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
on purpose
With deliberate intention; not accidentally. I bet you he left his report card here on purpose so we would compliment him on his grades. I don't understand—why would you run into the bumper of another car on purpose? Did you do it on purpose, or was it an accident?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
on purpose
intentionally; in a way that is meant or intended; not an accident. The bully stepped on my foot on purpose. Jealously, Jimmy destroyed Billy's sand castle on purpose.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
on purpose
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
on ˈpurpose
deliberately: He took the worst jobs he could find on purpose, and then wrote a book about his experiences. ♢ Don’t shout at me like that. I didn’t break it on purpose.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
on purpose
Intentionally; deliberately.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.