Disengaja

Disengaja is a term used in Indonesian and Malay to describe actions that are done on purpose or with deliberate intent. It functions as an adjective or adverb and contrasts with actions that are tidak disengaja or tanpa disengaja, meaning unintentional or accidental.

Etymology and usage notes: The word is built from the root sengaja, meaning intentional or on purpose, with the prefix di- forming the word disengaja. In everyday and formal language, disengaja can appear as predicate adjective (tindakan disengaja) or as an adverbial modifier (melakukan secara disengaja, dilakukan dengan disengaja). The synonym sengaja is commonly used as well, though disengaja often carries a more formal or legal tone. Phrases such as secara disengaja or dengan disengaja are frequently heard to emphasize intentionality.

Legal and contextual significance: In legal and administrative contexts, disengaja is used to distinguish intentional acts from negligent or accidental ones. Phrases like perbuatan disengaja (deliberate act) and perbuatan tidak disengaja (unintentional act) appear in statutes, case summaries, and journalism. The concept relates to the mental element or niat (intention) required in many legal theories of liability.

Examples: Dia memecahkan kaca itu secara disengaja. That act was carried out on purpose. Pelanggaran itu dianggap disengaja dan dapat dikenai sanksi berat. In everyday use: “Dia sengaja melakukannya” expresses intentionality, while “itu dilakukan tanpa disengaja” signals an accident.

See also: Sengaja, tidak disengaja, secara disengaja, dengan sengaja.

Disengaja thus denotes deliberate, conscious action and is a standard term across informal, formal, and legal Indonesian and Malay usage.

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