deliberate

verb

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt

deliberated; deliberating

Essential Meaning of deliberate

: to think about or discuss something very carefully in order to make a decision The jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict. They will deliberate the question.

Full Definition of deliberate

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully The jury deliberated for several days before reaching a verdict.

transitive verb

: to think about deliberately and often with formal discussion before reaching a decision deliberate the question was deliberating whether or not to accept the offer

deliberate

adjective

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-rət

, -ˈlib-rət \

Definition of deliberate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration a deliberate decision Ms. Barker herself has said that the decision to write about the war was a deliberate response to patronizing reviews of her working-class settings …— Claudia Roth Pierpont

2 : characterized by awareness of the consequences a deliberate exaggeration a deliberate act of protest

3 : slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved The jeweler worked at a deliberate pace.

Other Words from deliberate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About deliberate

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Choose the Right Synonym for deliberate

Verb

think, cogitate, reflect, reason, speculate, deliberate mean to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference. think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions. teaches students how to think cogitate implies deep or intent thinking. cogitated on the mysteries of nature reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind. reflecting on fifty years of married life reason stresses consecutive logical thinking. able to reason brilliantly in debate speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic. speculated on the fate of the lost explorers deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision. the jury deliberated for five hours

Adjective

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will. voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion. a voluntary confession intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved. the intentional concealment of vital information deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences. deliberate acts of sabotage willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another. willing obedience

Examples of deliberate in a Sentence

Verb The jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict. They will deliberate the question. Adjective She spoke in a clear, deliberate manner. He advocates a slow and deliberate approach to the problem.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Courts couldn’t pack hundreds of jurors in rooms for the selection process, and once a jury was selected, its members couldn’t sit in tight spaces for a trial or to deliberate. — Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2021 As the jury went out to deliberate, the defense was hopeful. — Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2021 While South Africans deliberate the root causes of the recent unrest — gross inequality, political rivalries and historic cultural divides — a common theme is government failure. — NBC News, 19 July 2021 On June 17, village trustees met as the Committee of the Whole to deliberate the current outdoor dining policies and their impact on downtown parking. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, 29 June 2021 The Coronado board Tuesday night went behind closed doors in executive session to deliberate. — Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2021 Cahill told jurors they would be allowed to take copies of the instructions to deliberate. — Michael Tarm, Star Tribune, 19 Apr. 2021 Fourteen jurors – 12 to deliberate and two to serve as alternates – have heard from 26 witnesses called by the prosecution over the past week and a half. — Kevin Mccoy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2021 The jury will then deliberate to recommend a sentence. — Chris Mayhew, The Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The authors see the gunpowder analyses as aiding historians in their interpretation of medieval texts and in determining the extent to which master gunners in crafting the recipes did so with deliberate intent. — The New York Times, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2021 That detailed movement is indicative of Pimble’s interesting and captivating choreography: Precise and deliberate, athletic and yes, animalistic. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 8 Oct. 2021 Some make a deliberate attempt to target businesses that need to get back online immediately, like hospitals. — NBC News, 17 Aug. 2021 Saber is all about clashing attacks while epee is more deliberate and tactical. — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2021 Over the past years, the digital transformation company has become more deliberate about its marketing and explaining exactly what its services provide. — Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 17 June 2021 Forced to suspend the trial, Soligenix is now seeking $19 million in damages from Emergent, which has denied negligence or deliberate wrongdoing. — New York Times, 6 Apr. 2021 Business leaders hope the benefit of hindsight will allow this wave of reopenings to be more deliberate and coordinated among members of the Washington metro region, as well as between state and local governments. — Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2021 Be Patient And Keep On Chugging Slow and steady may win the race, but better counsel might add a third ingredient to the phrase: deliberate. — Michael Gabay, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deliberate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near deliberate

deliberant

deliberate

deliberately

Statistics for deliberate

Last Updated

2 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Deliberate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliberate. Accessed 26 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for deliberate

deliberate

verb

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt

deliberated; deliberating

Kids Definition of deliberate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to think about carefully

deliberate

adjective

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-rət

, -ˈli-brət \

Kids Definition of deliberate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : showing careful thought a deliberate decision

2 : done or said on purpose a deliberate lie

3 : slow in action : not hurried a deliberate pace

deliberate

verb

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt

deliberated; deliberating

Legal Definition of deliberate

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to think about and weigh or discuss issues and decisions carefully the jury retired to deliberate

transitive verb

: to think about or evaluate

deliberate

adjective

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-rət

Legal Definition of deliberate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : characterized by or resulting from careful consideration especially : characterized by or resulting from evaluation done in a cool state of blood and with a fixed purpose deliberate murder — compare premeditated

2 : characterized by an understanding of the nature of a thing or act and its consequences deliberate falsehoods