deliberately

adverb

de·​lib·​er·​ate·​ly di-ˈli-bə-rət-lē 

-ˈlib-rət-

: in a deliberate manner: such as

a

: with full awareness of what one is doing : in a way that is intended or planned

trying deliberately to mislead us

a deliberately harsh review

It's very clear, however, that organizations funded in part by the fossil fuel industry have deliberately tried to undermine the public's understanding of the scientific consensus by promoting a few skeptics.

—Joel Achenbach

b

: in a way that is not hurried : slowly and carefully

speaking clearly and deliberately

He moves deliberately, almost cautiously, and he speaks with the assurance of someone who is accustomed to being listened to.

—Alec Wilkinson

Synonyms of deliberately

• intentionally
• purposely

Examples of deliberately in a Sentence

deliberately chose to break the rules

Recent Examples on the Web

Large, broadly prosperous middle classes have always been built deliberately—through labor protections, public investment, antitrust enforcement, and progressive taxation. —Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026

To aid those inspections, some heat shield tiles have been deliberately painted white to imitate visible damage and provide tracking targets for onboard cameras and sensors. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Investigators from its major crimes unit believe the fire was deliberately set, police said, and one of the teenagers — a 15-year-old girl — is facing charges of arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026

Warsh will inherit a Federal Open Market Committee built on consensus, where even major policy shifts typically move deliberately and only after lengthy internal debate. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 22 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deliberatly "with due consideration," from deliberate deliberate entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above