deliberation
Americannoun
-
deliberations
plural
-
careful consideration before decision.
- Synonyms:
- forethought, reflection
-
formal consultation or discussion.
-
deliberate quality; leisureliness of movement or action; slowness.
noun
-
thoughtful, careful, or lengthy consideration
-
(often plural) formal discussion and debate, as of a committee, jury, etc
-
care, thoughtfulness, or absence of hurry, esp in movement or speech
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deliberation
1325–75; Middle English deliberacion < Latin dēlīberātiōn- (stem of dēlīberātiō ), equivalent to dēlīberāt ( us ) ( see deliberate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The process of carefully considering what to do is called deliberation, like your deliberation before making one of the most important decisions in your life. The noun deliberation comes from the Latin word deliberare, meaning “weigh,” or “consider well.” Whenever a person or group needs to work through all of the possible solutions to a problem, this is deliberation. Something that is deliberate is done on purpose, not by chance or accident — deliberation carries this same spirit, in that it is a carefully thought-out process of making a decision.
Vocabulary lists containing deliberation
Hamilton
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"The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton
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The Federalist Papers, No. 1 by Alexander Hamilton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When something speeds up and gets out of control, it isn’t alarmist to demand prudence and deliberation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The panel has twice previously sent the judge notes saying it could not come to a unanimous decision, but Thursday was the first hint of rancour in the deliberation room.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Jurors reached their verdict after almost six hours of deliberation, with 10 of the cohort of 12 finding him guilty.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
I trimmed my bangs after a six-week deliberation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
After great deliberation, just as people were beginning to fidget, she had played a short piece by Mozart, adapted for children, but the guests wanted her to play “Jingle Bells.”
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
The identities of all 11 jurors have not been officially disclosed but in the US, once a case is over, any juror can choose to speak publicly about a case and their deliberations.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The minutes cover deliberations starting on Aug. 25 involving members of the Bank of Canada’s governing council, which is tasked with setting rate policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Supporters cheered outside a Los Angeles courthouse after the verdict, which came following three days of jury deliberations.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The game ended 17 minutes before midnight thanks in part to several long deliberations by the officiating crew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
After less than an hour of deliberations, the twelve men returned to the courtroom.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
