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

Jurors at the Federal District Court here on Long Island were expected to begin deliberating the fate of the defendants as soon as Thursday after a 10-week trial in front of Judge Joan M. Azrack. — Colin Moynihan, New York Times, "Long Island Officials Traded Favors for Luxury Gifts, Prosecutors Say," 16 May 2018 Jurors began deliberating Tuesday after listening to closing arguments in the case. — Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Hung jury in Copley Square murder trial," 4 May 2018 The panel, which has been sequestered at a suburban Philadelphia hotel for two weeks, resisted requests to go begin deliberating immediately after Tuesday's marathon closing arguments, which ran upwards of five hours, citing exhaustion. — Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, "Bill Cosby retrial, Day 13: Jury set to begin deliberations Wednesday," 25 Apr. 2018 Jurors began deliberating Thursday afternoon after a four-day trial, the court official said. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland.com, "Lorain man found guilty of aggravated murder in New Year's Day shooting," 20 Apr. 2018 After sitting through a week-and-a-half of evidence and testimony — ranging from dramatic re-enactments to numbing recitations of experts’ qualifications — the jury deliberated for about 3 ½ hours before reaching a verdict. — Dan Hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Conflicting answer in special interrogatory upends verdict to displeasure of jury foreman," 29 June 2018 The Budget Committee deliberated for more than three hours where city leaders addressed a number of concerns raised by residents and advocacy groups. — Phillip M. Bailey, The Courier-Journal, "These are the winners (and losers) after Mayor Fischer's budget tweaks," 22 June 2018 The jury deliberated for roughly four hours before reaching a verdict. — Becky Jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Attorney's absence delays sentencing for man who killed girlfriend, left her body to decompose in Lake Station home," 14 June 2018 The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. — Marisa Gerber, latimes.com, "Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment," 30 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Others bought a new house and decided to rent their old one, while others still were more deliberate and bought a rental unit or two to supplement their income. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Online property management tools are moving the landlord-tenant relationship to the internet," 7 Nov. 2018 The actions that landed her there were deliberate and retaliatory, fueled by distress over custody of her children who had been taken from her by law enforcement, an arrest report said. — Tonya Alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fiery crash into sheriff's office substation was deliberate, arrest report says," 4 May 2018 The focus on food is deliberate, said Billingslea, who led Trump’s national security transition team. — Joshua Goodman, The Seattle Times, "As Venezuelans go hungry, Trump targets food corruption," 24 Sep. 2018 According to Jordan, every space, breath, tone, and drum sound was deliberate — and her decision — designed to convey a specific feeling or sensation. — Allison P. Davis, The Cut, "Snail Mail Can Control Her Feelings and Yours, Too," 20 June 2018 Reducing the number of shows offered this year was deliberate, said festival producer Michael Marinaccio. — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "2018 Fringe: Fewer shows, but attendance and performers' paychecks rise," 1 June 2018 The room and furniture choice, while a subtle one, was deliberate. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Secret Way Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Honored Princess Diana in Their Wedding Photos," 24 May 2018 The company has also been deliberate with its growth, Sprehe said, pursuing strategic projects rather than grasping for everything within its reach. — Greg Larose, NOLA.com, "Top Workplaces: Team spirit lifts Ryan Gootee General Contractors," 24 May 2018 Coker's decision to make the behind-the-scenes talent as diverse as possible was deliberate. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, "Netflix Series 'Marvel's Luke Cage' Returns With Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Gary Clark Jr. & More For Season Two Cameos: Exclusive," 18 May 2018

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

15 Jan 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