premeditation

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

\

Definition of premeditation

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

Examples of premeditation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Which even further shows premeditation and deliberation. — Paul Larosa, CBS News, "Search for missing Marine wife "like finding a needle in a thousand haystacks”," 12 June 2018 But investigations by Turkish authorities and a UN specialist found vast evidence of premeditation, such as the arrival of 15 Saudi agents in Istanbul in the hours before Khashoggi’s killing. — BostonGlobe.com, "BEIRUT — A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five men to death and three to prison terms over the killing of Saudi dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last year, the kingdom’s public prosecutor said Monday.," 24 Dec. 2019 But investigations by the Turkish authorities and a United Nations expert found vast evidence of premeditation, such as the arrival of 15 Saudi agents in Istanbul in the hours before Mr. Khashoggi’s killing. — Ben Hubbard, New York Times, "Saudi Death Sentences in Khashoggi Killing Fail to Dispel Questions," 23 Dec. 2019 One of the elements of the crime of murder is premeditation. — Mark Berman, Washington Post, "Baton Rouge police release video showing fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, plan to fire one officer," 30 Mar. 2018 By switching gravity’s direction, Chyr presents a string of spatial riddles, each of which must be solved via experimentation or premeditation. — Simon Parkin, The New Yorker, "The Best Video Games of 2019," 17 Dec. 2019 His lawyers argued the state proved second-degree murder, but not the premeditation required for first-degree murder. — Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Everett Miller trial: Jurors to deliberate fate of accused cop killer," 11 Sep. 2019 Mannford police Officer Michael Patrick Nealey, 49, described as Miller's second-in-command, was arrested and charged with homicide and depraved murder without premeditation. — Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, "Oklahoma police chief dead after fight with his own officer at Florida conference, authorities say," 11 Nov. 2019 Second-degree murder does not require premeditation. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore gunman gets 75 years in prison for murdering 7-year-old Taylor Hayes," 18 Oct. 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about premeditation

Dictionary Entries near premeditation

Statistics for premeditation

Last Updated

1 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Premeditation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premeditation. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for premeditation

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 aforethoughtdeliberate, 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.

Keep scrolling for more