deliberate
verb
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Definition of deliberate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully The jury deliberated for several days before reaching a verdict.
: 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
-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.
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Synonyms & Antonyms for deliberate
Synonyms: Verb
chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with)
Synonyms: Adjective
conscious, intended, intentional, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, willed, willful (or wilful), witting
Antonyms: Adjective
nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional
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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
So for now, as Jones and Walton deliberate their qualifying offers, the Heat still can line up an additional pair of two-way candidates. — Ira Winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Are Heat turning toward developmental mode?," 28 June 2018 To continue reading this story, TRY IT NOW After a short punishment phase where the panel heard from family members on both sides, the jury deliberated about 30 minutes before deciding on a 60-year-prison sentence. — Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio man sentenced in 2015 stabbing death of boyfriend," 25 June 2018 The issue has been raised that a court case from the 1930s prohibits jurors from deliberating on the Christian Sabbath. — Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle, "Jurors in choking trial aren’t barred from working on Sabbath," 23 June 2018 Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before reaching a verdict in favor of Lorenzo Davis, a former supervisor for the Independent Police Review Authority. — Jeremy Gorner, chicagotribune.com, "Jury awards $2.8M to former IPRA supervisor who sued city," 21 June 2018 At the start of their third day deliberating Thursday, jurors in US District Court in Boston asked to see transcripts of testimony from longtime Rhode Island gangsters Bobby and Joe DeLuca. — Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Salemme jurors want transcripts of R.I. mobsters’ testimony," 21 June 2018 Jurors deliberated for seven hours Thursday before returning a verdict, according to WSIL. — Kaitlyn Schwers, kansascity, "He died of hypothermia after fight. Man who punched him and left is a murderer, jury rules," 15 June 2018 Last week marked the second time that a jury has deliberated Cosby’s fate. — Greg Hanlon, PEOPLE.com, "Bill Cosby Juror Says He Voted to Convict Because of Entertainer's Admission He Gave Quaaludes to Women," 30 Apr. 2018 The alternate jurors are being kept away from the main panel of seven men and five women deliberating Cosby's fate. — Bloomberg.com, "The Latest: Accuser Calls Bill Cosby 'A Raping Monster'," 26 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The deer instead walked closer, calm and deliberate, behind a garden shed. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "First breath, first steps in little-seen wildlife world," 1 July 2018 His voice is softer and more deliberate now; his eyes remain kind. — Elizabeth Myong, Houston Chronicle, "TSU debate coach’s legacy celebrated at his 99th birthday party," 1 July 2018 Howard is better suited to more deliberate, half-court offense. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "How Dwight Howard's trade to Nets affects Hornets' Nic Batum, Cody Zeller, James Borrego," 20 June 2018 The pacing goes from slow and deliberate to upbeat and peppy. — Dewayne Bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Review: Ruminations - Fringe 2018," 14 May 2018 This is why, for voters, feelings about faith or the flag often overwhelm more deliberate thoughts about policies towards the deficit or single-payer health care. — The Economist, "The L wordWho is a Democrat?," 12 July 2018 Sorry to Bother You’s deliberate lack of panache is sometimes a huge strength, particularly in its most chilling set piece, in which Cash is asked to rap in front of Steve and his coterie of rich hangers-on. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Sorry to Bother You Is Fizzy, Flawed, and Fascinating," 6 July 2018 But many of these audits aren’t structured to detect a tabulation software flaw, or aren’t rigorous enough to uncover a deliberate hack, experts say. — Warren Richey, The Christian Science Monitor, "Ahead of midterms, states scrambling to fend off cyberattacks," 3 July 2018 The office of the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf was slammed by a delivery van in early Tuesday in Amsterdam in what appears to be a deliberate act. — Lukas Mikelionis, Fox News, "Van intentionally hits Dutch newspaper's office," 26 June 2018These 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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More Definitions for deliberate
deliberate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of deliberate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to think about or discuss something very carefully in order to make a decision
deliberate
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of deliberate (Entry 2 of 2)
: done or said in a way that is planned or intended : done or said on purpose
: done or decided after careful thought
: slow and careful
See the full definition for deliberate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deliberate
verb
\
Kids Definition of deliberate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to think about carefully
deliberate
adjective
-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
\
Legal Definition of deliberate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to think about and weigh or discuss issues and decisions carefully the jury retired to deliberate
: to think about or evaluate
deliberate
adjective
\
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
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