deliberate

verb

de·lib·er·ate | \ di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt

deliberated; deliberating

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.

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

My book is a plea to enrich the current electoral model of representative democracy with an element of sortition: the use of random samples of everyday citizens who deliberate and make informed policy proposals. — New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 4 May 2018 Jurors, who deliberated for more than a day, said the trial affected them deeply. — Fox News, "Nanny who killed kids while parents away convicted of murder," 20 Apr. 2018 None of these fixes would be complete substitutes for creating a streamlined federal pathway, but each would help address many of the most resource-intensive barriers as Congress deliberates further. — Nick Manetto, STAT, "Medicaid’s unnecessary barriers delay care for children with complex needs," 1 May 2018 Kelly's trial began Tuesday, and the jury deliberated more than six hours Wednesday and into Thursday morning, according to District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office. — Heather Nolan, NOLA.com, "Jury deadlocks on rape charge, unanimously convicts on kidnapping in St. Roch assault," 26 Apr. 2018 Jurors spent about a day deliberating before finding Sanchez guilty Friday of second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to the San Diego Tribune. — Crystal Hill, sacbee, "She was wasted and plowed into a man – then kept driving with his body in the car," 11 Apr. 2018 The Register-Guard reports that things have gotten so bad the Eugene city council has begun deliberating on penalties for folks who feed the birds under a proposal originally intended to curb the municipality's problem with deer and feral cats. — Eder Campuzano, OregonLive.com, "Tenacious turkeys are terrorizing Eugene residents," 2 Mar. 2018 Jurors were still deliberating on the sentence Wednesday evening. — Ryan Tarinelli, Fox News, "Mom: Ex-Texas officer convicted of murder is a devoted dad," 30 Aug. 2018 The City Council should not be deliberating on these rules. — Josh Baugh, San Antonio Express-News, "Council debates its own transparency," 13 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The reason is deliberate and persistent Democratic obstruction and abuse of Senate rules, so three cheers for Republicans for advancing a modest change in those rules to let President Trump form a government before his first term ends. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Rule to Speed Up Confirmations," 2 Apr. 2019 There’s no pretense of spontaneity here; the posing is deliberate and at times surreal. — Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, "“It’s Called Ffasiwn” Is a Photography Exhibition That Challenges Assumptions About Status and Style," 25 Mar. 2019 The process is deliberate and lengthy with seemingly many voices involved in the searches. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons news likely signals end is near for coach, GM searches," 31 May 2018 There are the Curry Warriors, freewheeling and explosive, and there are the Durant Warriors, deliberate and overwhelming. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "Draymond Green Still Lives at the Heart of Everything Golden State," 22 May 2018 Coates, like any of the best editors, could take that kind of serendipity and turn it into something that felt deliberate and powerful. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Remembering the Cinematic Magic of Anne V. Coates," 10 May 2018 The strangeness of Roxie Perkins’s libretto turns out to be deliberate. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "Portraits of Pain at the Prototype Festival," 9 Jan. 2019 But the result is a brand of justice that seems un-American to many, unrecognizable in its deliberate cruelty. — Liz Goodwin, BostonGlobe.com, "Down on the border, a new trail of tears," 10 June 2018 But over the past three years, there’s been a deliberate shift to make the site more positive. — Kara Brown, Marie Claire, "Our Lady of Shade," 1 Mar. 2019

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

deliberative assembly

Statistics for deliberate

Last Updated

9 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for deliberate

The first known use of deliberate was in the 14th century

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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

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