premeditation

noun pre·med·i·ta·tion \ (ˌ)prē-ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən \

|Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of premeditation

: an act or instance of premeditating; specifically : consideration or planning of an act beforehand that shows intent to commit that act

Recent Examples of premeditation from the Web

Prosecutors said her suspicious behavior before and after the killing was evidence of premeditation.

— NBC News, "The judge who sentenced Nancy Seaman for murder now wants to set her free," 26 Apr. 2018
These could include evidence of extreme brutality or premeditation.

— dan horn, Cincinnati.com, "This man stopped a Cincinnati killer's execution. Here's why he did it.," 19 Feb. 2018
Molines was later arrested on suspicion of committing one count of murder without premeditation.

— linda trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Man deliberately drove car at friend and killed him, Fort Lauderdale police say," 6 Apr. 2018
Bernet argues that the whole concept of premeditation might come under greater scrutiny as science uncovers more about what drives behavior.

— elijah wolfson, Newsweek, "My Genes Did It!," 5 Mar. 2014
The jury quickly discarded the first- and second-degree murder charges, which require premeditation, the juror said.

— Washington Post, "Immigrant sentenced in Kate Steinle shooting as Steinle family prepares for next fight," 6 Mar. 2018
Miss Drury asserts that the whipping did not proceed from impulse but was a matter of careful premeditation.

— johnny miller, San Francisco Chronicle, "Wayback Machine: John McLaren, the great gardener of San Francisco, dies," 4 Jan. 2018
Prosecutors argued for the upgraded charges, which require them to show premeditation, by showing video of Fields backing up his car before accelerating into the crowd at Fourth and Water Streets in downtown Charlottesville.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Man Who Rammed Crowd at Charlottesville Rally Charged With First-Degree Murder," 15 Dec. 2017
Unlike second-degree murder, first-degree murder requires the element of premeditation.

— paul duggan, Washington Post, "Charge upgraded to first-degree murder for driver accused of ramming Charlottesville crowd," 14 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'premeditation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of premeditation

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Law Dictionary

premeditation

noun pre·med·i·ta·tion \ pri-ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən \

legal Definition of premeditation

: an act or instance of premeditating; specifically : consideration or planning of an act beforehand

designed so that it requires premeditation to tamper with it

murder in the first degree is the killing of a human being committed…intentionally and with premeditation
—Kansas Statutes Annotated

— see also cold blood, murder — compare intent

Note: The terms premeditation malice aforethought deliberate, and willful are often used in statutes either along with or instead of intent to describe the necessary mental state for a crime. In some jurisdictions the premeditation has to occur only moments before the act, while in others it must precede the act by an appreciable amount of time.