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 jury has deliberated more than 20 hours over three days and may have to work Sunday, according to experts. — Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle, "Jurors in choking trial aren’t barred from working on Sabbath," 23 June 2018 The ballot was emailed Monday to the more than 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. — Marc Narducci, Philly.com, "Marvin Harrison leads local contingent on College Football Hall of Fame ballot," 4 June 2018 After eight weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated for nearly three days before acquitting Carpenter. — John D'anna, azcentral, "'Hogan's Heroes' star Bob Crane was murdered 40 years ago. Why does it still fascinate us?," 29 June 2018 The jury deliberated for around six hours before delivering its guilty verdicts, NBC affiliate WXIA reported. — NBC News, "Man convicted, sentenced to life in 1983 racially motivated killing in Georgia," 27 June 2018 The jury deliberated for two hours before returning the verdict, the El Dorado County District Attorney said in a press release. — Molly Sullivan, sacbee, "Benicia man convicted of 2015 murder of father, stepmother, 8-year-old brother," 14 June 2018 The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated four hours before reaching its verdict. — CBS News, "Football player found guilty of killing cheerleader ex-girlfriend," 9 May 2018 District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced by email Friday that a St. Tammany Parish jury deliberated just 15 minutes before convicting Cindy White of Slidell of identity theft. — Fox News, "Woman steals ID to get six-figure job, but can't do the work," 20 Apr. 2018 The jury deliberated for about two-and-a-half hours before returning the verdicts, capping a six-day trial that involved more than 1,200 exhibits by the state, the DA's office said. — Emily Lane, NOLA.com, "Missing woman whose disappearance NOPD said might have involved foul play has been found," 27 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

What is more, the Trump administration has been rolling the plan out at a deliberate pace. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Why July Is a Risky Month for Drug Price Backlash," 3 July 2018 The paper's current newsroom had little security, and that's deliberate, said columnist Terence Smith. — Jeff Pegues, CBS News, "Annapolis shooting suspect not cooperating with detectives," 29 June 2018 There was just a real power in their conviction that comes through both on a recording that was lost and put on the shelf, or on A Love Supreme, which was very deliberate statement. — Natalie Weiner, Billboard, "Ravi Coltrane On the State of Jazz & Why John Coltrane's Lost Album Couldn't Have Been Found at a Better Time," 29 June 2018 Texas Democratic Party organizers say the placement of the two booths side by side was deliberate. — Anna M. Tinsley, star-telegram, "Opposing gun-related groups duel at close quarters at Democratic convention," 22 June 2018 The Spurs are a perfect matchup for the Curry-less Warriors, who play a slower, more deliberate pace without him that relies on Kevin Durant getting lots of shots. — Tim Bontemps, chicagotribune.com, "NBA playoff matchups: Who's playing whom in the first round," 12 Apr. 2018 Both teams play at a deliberate pace, with Loyola ranking 315th in adjusted tempo, and Michigan checking in at 326th. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Final Four Breakdown: Which Factors Will Decide Michigan vs. Loyola-Chicago?," 26 Mar. 2018 Radford plays at a deliberate pace and thus doesn’t fill up the stats sheet or light up the scoreboard. — Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, "2018 NCAA tournament: Breaking down the March Madness field of 68," 11 Mar. 2018 On offense, the Cougars prefer a deliberate pace, choosing when to attack and when to control the tempo. — Aaron Carter, Philly.com, "Imhotep-King boys, Imhotep-Mastery North girls play Sunday for Public League titles," 24 Feb. 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.

History and Etymology for deliberate

Verb

see deliberate entry 2

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare to consider carefully, perhaps alteration of *delibrare, from de- + libra scale, pound

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Dictionary Entries near deliberate

deliberative assembly

Statistics for deliberate

Last Updated

5 Nov 2018

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