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
The San Mateo County jury deliberated for a little more than an hour before finding Rodney Halbower guilty. — Paul Elias, Fox News, "California jury: Career criminal guilty of killing 2 teens," 18 Sep. 2018 These companies didn’t spend months deliberating a course of action and then decided this weekend. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Apple crushed Alex Jones — then tossed him a lifeline," 8 Aug. 2018 Working closely with a White House team and consulting with lawmakers and outside advisers, Trump has spent the week deliberating on the choice. — Catherine Lucey And Lisa Mascaro, chicagotribune.com, "Former Notre Dame professor among Trump's finalists for Supreme Court, source says," 5 July 2018 Jurors deliberated for four days spread over parts of six days before reaching the guilty verdict -- and rejecting lesser verdicts of second-degree murder and manslaughter -- in the second trial against Peyer this year. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "June 23, 1988: Peyer is guilty," 23 June 2018 The jury spent 90 minutes deliberating before delivering the verdict Thursday night (May 3). — Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, "Avondale man found guilty in fatal double shooting," 4 May 2018 In June, a jury spent 52 hours deliberating the case before declaring that it was deadlocked. — Jeremy Roebuck, Philly.com, "Bill Cosby found guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004," 26 Apr. 2018 The justices spent about four hours deliberating after the hearing, according to Chief Justice Dev Dabke, a math major heading to Princeton in the fall for a Ph.D. program. — Peter Loftus, WSJ, "College Election Crackdown: No Glitter, No iPads, No Mascot Photos," 26 Apr. 2018 The seven men and five women of the jury spent hours deliberating on the first day on Wednesday, but also sent out multiple questions and requests for read-backs of statements and testimony. — Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, "Bill Cosby retrial: Deliberations resume after hearing defense star witness testimony," 26 Apr. 2018Recent 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. 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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