deliberately

adverb

de·​lib·​er·​ate·​ly di-ˈli-bə-rət-lē How to pronounce deliberately (audio)
-ˈlib-rət-
Synonyms of deliberately
: in a deliberate manner: such as
a
: with full awareness of what one is doing : in a way that is intended or planned
trying deliberately to mislead us
a deliberately harsh review
It's very clear, however, that organizations funded in part by the fossil fuel industry have deliberately tried to undermine the public's understanding of the scientific consensus by promoting a few skeptics.Joel Achenbach
b
: in a way that is not hurried : slowly and carefully
speaking clearly and deliberately
He moves deliberately, almost cautiously, and he speaks with the assurance of someone who is accustomed to being listened to.Alec Wilkinson

Examples of deliberately in a Sentence

deliberately chose to break the rules
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the heat shield’s thermal tiles were black, but some were deliberately painted white to simulate missing tiles, part of an experiment to test the shield’s robustness. Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 25 July 2026 Earlier research works explored this phenomenon mainly in isolated laboratory systems or as a way to deliberately control quantum states. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026 Especially in Milan and Paris, hips were deliberately made the center of attention and staged in ways that were sometimes more dramatic, sometimes less so. Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026 Most of the heat shield's thermal tiles were black, but some were deliberately painted white to simulate missing tiles, part of an experiment to test the shield's robustness. Arkansas Online, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for deliberately

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deliberatly "with due consideration," from deliberate deliberate entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deliberately was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deliberately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliberately. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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