Meanings
prepositional phrase
- Intentionally, on purpose.
All of that — the appeal, the access, the illicitness of cigarettes — was by design.
2019 March 8, Jeneen Interlandi, “Vaping Is Big Tobacco’s Bait and Switch”, in The New York Times - Designed specifically for a given purpose, to have a particular feature.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbwith intention; in an intentional manner
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
by design. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20design
MLA
“by design.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20design. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by design,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20design.
Source: by design on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.