premeditate

1 of 2

verb

pre·​med·​i·​tate (ˌ)prē-ˈme-də-ˌtāt 

premeditated; premeditating; premeditates

transitive verb

: 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.

intransitive verb

: to think, consider, or deliberate beforehand

premeditator

(ˌ)prē-ˈme-də-ˌtā-tər 

noun

premeditator

2 of 2

noun

pre·​meditator (ˈ)prē+ 

: one that premeditates

Examples of premeditate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Last week, prosecutors attempted to use electronic materials to lay out their theory that Clancy premeditated killing her three children. — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, prosecutors accused Gaul of premeditating the murder by knowing where to shoot the gun. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

The new indictment adds another special circumstance allegation that Reiner committed the murders by means of lying in wait, meaning prosecutors believe the killings were premeditated. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

The modern consumer journey is increasingly premeditated, with many shoppers planning their trips before leaving home. — Gadi Graus, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin praemeditatus, past participle of praemeditari, from prae- + meditari to meditate

Noun

premeditate + -or

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1526, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for premeditate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

premeditate

verb

pre·​med·​i·​tate pri-ˈmed-ə-ˌtāt 

ˈprē-

: to think about and plan beforehand

premeditated murder

premeditation

pri-ˌmed-ə-ˈtā-shən, 

ˌprē-

noun

Legal Definition

premeditate

verb

pre·​med·​i·​tate pri-ˈme-də-ˌtāt 

premeditated; premeditating

transitive verb

: to think about or consider beforehand

must premeditate the killing and deliberate about it

—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.

intransitive verb

: to think or consider beforehand