premeditate
verb
pre·med·i·tate
(ˌ)prē-ˈme-də-ˌtāt 
premeditated; premeditating; premeditates
: to think about and revolve in the mind beforehand
… must premeditate the killing and deliberate about it …—
Wayne R. LaFave and Austin W. Scott, Jr.
Wayne R. LaFave and Austin W. Scott, Jr.
: to think, consider, or deliberate beforehand
Examples of premeditate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, according to The Monroe News, his charge was upped to open murder in November 2016, which allows a jury to determine if the crime was premeditated.
—Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The defense argues the events were tragic and reckless but not premeditated, which would distinguish first-degree from second-degree murder.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
In court on Friday, Coreen Mao, the attorney representing the Department of Justice, argued that the crime was premeditated because Roske had bought weapons on nine different occasions and made Google searches about serial killers and mass shootings.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Authorities say the act was premeditated and carried out in front of a crowd that included children, a factor that could carry serious sentencing implications.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for premeditate
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Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The defense argues the events were tragic and reckless but not premeditated, which would distinguish first-degree from second-degree murder.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
In court on Friday, Coreen Mao, the attorney representing the Department of Justice, argued that the crime was premeditated because Roske had bought weapons on nine different occasions and made Google searches about serial killers and mass shootings.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Authorities say the act was premeditated and carried out in front of a crowd that included children, a factor that could carry serious sentencing implications.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for premeditate
Cite this Entry
“Premeditate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premeditate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
premeditate
verb
pre·med·i·tate
pri-ˈmed-ə-ˌtāt
ˈprē-
: to think about and plan beforehand
premeditated murder
premeditation
noun
pri-ˌmed-ə-ˈtā-shən
ˌprē-
Legal Definition
premeditate
verb
pre·med·i·tate
pri-ˈme-də-ˌtāt
premeditated; premeditating
: to think about or consider beforehand
must premeditate the killing and deliberate about it—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
: to think or consider beforehand
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