intentionally or knowingly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "intentionally or knowingly" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in legal contexts to describe actions taken with awareness or purpose. Example: "The defendant acted intentionally or knowingly when committing the crime, as evidenced by the premeditated nature of the act."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Mr. Sarikas said that his client had "never intentionally or knowingly sold artwork she knew to be forged".

The New York Times - Arts

In a statement  the club said they were "extremely disappointed with this decision, particularly as we have never intentionally or knowingly broken any rules".

BBC

Such offences also typically involve a substantial 'fault element', in that they are committed only if the agent brings about the relevant effect (death or injury to the person, for instance) intentionally, or knowingly, or at least recklessly: theorists can therefore focus their discussions of criminal fault on the proper analysis of these kinds of fault and how they should be proved.

SEP

The law at the center of the storm is called The Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA) and, in a nutshell, it penalizes employers who "intentionally or knowingly" hire illegal workers.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy," Freeman wrote.

Vice

"Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy," he said.

Huffington Post

For example, one of the dimensions is whether "the violation [is] done intentionally or only knowingly" (Gert 1998, 234) — a distinction that those who reject the doctrine of double effect would not find relevant.

SEP

Assault is if a person commits an offense of intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to another or you intentionally threaten another with bodily injury.

Huffington Post

The FBI defines cruelty to animals as: "Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment".

Independent

"I would draw the line that we would either knowingly or intentionally or recklessly accelerate the development of a program, thereby placing passengers at risk or crews at risk," General Jones said.

The New York Times

And there was the anti-groping bill, which would have made it a misdemeanor offense for a federal security agent to "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly" touch someone in places that would be "offensive to a reasonable person".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider rewording to "deliberately and consciously" to improve clarity and flow in less formal writing contexts if "intentionally or knowingly" sounds too legalistic.

Common error

Avoid using "intentionally or knowingly" in casual conversation or informal writing. Simpler alternatives like "on purpose" or "deliberately" often sound more natural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "intentionally or knowingly" serves as a qualifier of actions, indicating the mental state of the actor. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

14%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "intentionally or knowingly" functions as a qualifier used to specify the awareness and purpose behind an action. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for formal writing. While it is most commonly found in legal contexts, its applicability extends to news and media where clarity and precision are crucial. When considering alternative phrasings, "deliberately or consciously" and "purposely or with awareness" offer similar meanings with slightly different emphasis. When writing, avoid using "intentionally or knowingly" in contexts that are too casual or informal, as there are multiple alternatives. The purpose of this construction is to ensure that the subject is well informed of any danger and is therefore culpable for such actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Deliberately or knowingly

Replaces "intentionally" with "deliberately", emphasizing a conscious decision.

Purposely or knowingly

Substitutes "intentionally" with "purposely", highlighting the goal-oriented nature of the action.

Consciously or knowingly

Uses "consciously" instead of "intentionally", focusing on awareness of the action.

Willfully or knowingly

Replaces "intentionally" with "willfully", suggesting a deliberate and potentially stubborn choice.

Knowingly or purposely

Swaps the order and replaces "intentionally" with "purposely", altering the emphasis slightly.

Knowingly or deliberately

Swaps the order and replaces "intentionally" with "deliberately", shifting the focus to conscious decision-making.

Intentionally or with awareness

Replaces "knowingly" with "with awareness", providing a more descriptive alternative.

Deliberately or with knowledge

Uses "deliberately" for "intentionally" and "with knowledge" for "knowingly", making the phrase more verbose.

By design or knowingly

Implies a planned action instead of intent, paired with knowledge of the action.

On purpose or knowingly

Replaces intentionally with a more informal expression, "on purpose".

FAQs

How does "intentionally" differ from "knowingly"?

"Intentionally" implies a specific purpose or goal in mind when performing an action, while "knowingly" suggests an awareness of the potential consequences or nature of the action, even if the outcome wasn't the primary goal. For instance, someone might "deliberately" break a vase (intentionally) or sell a faulty product "with awareness" of its defects (knowingly).

What are some synonyms for "intentionally or knowingly"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "deliberately or consciously", "purposely or with awareness", or "willfully or with knowledge" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it redundant to use "intentionally or knowingly" together?

While there's some overlap, using both terms emphasizes a comprehensive scope, covering actions that are both purposeful and those done with an understanding of their implications. This is common in legal contexts to ensure no ambiguity.

In what kind of documents is "intentionally or knowingly" typically used?

This phrase is frequently found in legal documents, contracts, and policy statements where precision is required to define the mental state or awareness of an individual or entity committing an act.