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

The same Lexington County jury that convicted Jones of five counts of murder for killing his children , ages 1 to 8, in August 2014 will deliberate his sentence. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Death sentence for father who killed his 5 kids," 13 June 2019 Jurors went home less than an hour later and were ordered to resume deliberating Tuesday. — CBS News, "Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow convicted of raping homeless woman," 10 June 2019 Joseph McStay’s father, Patrick McStay, lives in Texas but waited in Southern California while the jury deliberated. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Verdict reached in McStay case but under wraps until Monday," 7 June 2019 This particular meme captures the spirit of the hashtag #DemThrones, which was created in 2012 — its exact provenance is the subject of debate — as a space for black fans to deliberate and commiserate about the show. — Namwali Serpell, New York Times, "How Social-Media Meme-Makers Rescued ‘Game of Thrones’ From Itself," 6 June 2019 Prosecutors said the jury deliberated an hour before handing down the conviction. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Northern Kentucky man gets life sentence for child sex abuse," 5 June 2019 Now, on July 30, the jury, having deliberated, was back. — Margalit Fox, BostonGlobe.com, "Dovey Johnson Roundtree, barrier-breaking lawyer, 104," 23 May 2018 Now, on July 30, 1965, the jury, having deliberated, was back. — Margalit Fox, New York Times, "Dovey Johnson Roundtree, Barrier-Breaking Lawyer, Dies at 104," 21 May 2018 The court is deliberating on NCAA vs. Christie, a New Jersey case that could invalidate the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 law that bans sports betting in most states. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Term Sheet -- Monday, May 7," 7 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The jury is reportedly deadlocked on an additional six felony charges and two misdemeanors, set to deliberate throughout Monday evening. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Kellen Winslow Jr. Found Guilty of Raping 58-Year-Old Woman, Faces Life Sentence," 10 June 2019 After the jury sent a note saying it was deadlocked on the eight other charges, the judge sent them back to deliberate. — CBS News, "Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow convicted of raping homeless woman," 10 June 2019 The same jury was asked to deliberate again on a possible sentence for Breeden. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Northern Kentucky man gets life sentence for child sex abuse," 5 June 2019 Thankful today for a posture of deliberate reflecting. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "TRACE Tackles Loneliness and L.A. Living in "All My Friends"," 17 May 2019 Testimony is expected to conclude Thursday afternoon, and the jury will be sent to deliberate. — Lauren Smiley, Glamour, "Sarah Hart Was ‘Intoxicated’: Everything We’ve Learned So Far About the Hart Family From the Coroner’s Inquest," 5 Apr. 2019 For those unfamiliar with body modification, it's defined as the deliberate altering of the human body or physical appearance, including tattoos and piercings as well as plastic surgery, in some cases. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "A Man Had Part of His Ear Cut Out in a Controversial “Conch Removal” Procedure," 28 Mar. 2019 Every slow motion movement a deliberate act, heightened by the expectant beating of unison drums. — Jordan Roth, Vogue, "Jordan Roth: A Man’s View on the Haute Couture," 28 Jan. 2019 Self-control is the deliberate act of suppressing your urges and desires. — Paul C. Brunson, USA TODAY, "Paul C. Brunson: These 3 books are the best ever written on self-control and willpower," 5 July 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

18 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

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