deliberation
Americannoun
-
deliberations
plural
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careful consideration before decision.
- Synonyms:
- forethought, reflection
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formal consultation or discussion.
-
deliberate quality; leisureliness of movement or action; slowness.
noun
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thoughtful, careful, or lengthy consideration
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(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:
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever,” Stewart said in a video posted Monday to Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
“UC’s current test-free policy followed years of faculty review, regents’ deliberation, legal developments and pandemic-related access concerns,” a UC spokesperson said Wednesday, adding that the review now underway is “expedited” and “evidence-based.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Cooper-Lesadd said she had approached Plaid Cymru after a "period of deliberation".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
King: When you initially went into the deliberation room, it wasn’t 11-1.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The very last part of the brain to get myelinated is the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for reason, planning, and deliberation.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
One person familiar with the deliberations said that people close to the Trump administration seemed keen to partner with Betancourt’s company because of the privacy and flexibility it offered.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
The most direct and obvious concern is the potential for jurors to bet on their own deliberations, creating financial incentives to reach particular outcomes, no matter the facts of the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
In Ansolabehere’s memory, Bartlett’s then-wife, Lisa, overheard the writers’ deliberations and casually suggested, “Maybe she’s in love with Arnold.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Speculation in Sweden's literary circles is already in full swing, fuelled by the fact that the list of nominees and the jury's deliberations are kept secret for 50 years.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
To make matters worse, his duties in the Senate removed him from the deliberations of the cabinet.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
