Dictionary

accidentally on purpose en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Deliberately, though apparently accidentally.
   • “Or maybe,” Jack added, “her mother accidentally on purpose lost it.” 2008, Karen White, The House on Tradd Street:
   • When a buffalo charges at her husband, Margot, directly in back of him and standing up in Wilson's open car, fires toward the buffalo and kills Francis — whether accidentally, on purpose, or accidentally on purpose, H. leaves ambiguous. 2003, The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature, edited by Steven R. Serafin and Alfred Bendixen, page 512 (entry "Hemingway")
   • What do you suppose she meant when she said, what had she done? Eh? Maybe it come to her then as she might have left them keys about, accidental on purpose. 1937, Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman's Honeymoon:
   • However, having accidentally-on-purpose got hold of a piece of the fish, down it went; and, apparently thinking that under the circumstances he might do worse, he set to work with no ill-will or appetite, and soon got through a good part of a haddock. 1860, Cornwall Simeon, Stray Notes on Fishing and Natural History, page 159:

Forms

Relateds

casu consulto

Translations (10)

pt sem querer querendo (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · pl przypadkowo zgodnie z planem (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · es sin querer queriendo (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · ru наро́чно (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · el καταλάθος εξεπίτηδες (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · ru как бы случа́йно (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · ja 偶然を装って (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · nl per ongeluk expres (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · fi näennäisesti vahingossa (deliberately but seemingly accidentally) · cmn 故意不小心 (deliberately but seemingly accidentally)