deliberate

[ adjective dih-lib-er-it; verb dih-lib-uh-reyt ]

adjective

1. carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional:

   a deliberate lie.

   Synonyms: willful, purposive, conscious

   Antonyms: accidental

2. characterized by deliberation or cautious consideration; careful or slow in deciding:

   Moving away from the city and all its advantages required a deliberate decision.

   Synonyms: cautious, circumspect, thoughtful, methodical

   Antonyms: rash, precipitate, impulsive

3. leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried:

   moving with a deliberate step.

verb (used with object)

, de·lib·er·at·ed, de·lib·er·at·ing.

1. to weigh in the mind; consider:

   to deliberate a question.

   Synonyms: ponder

verb (used without object)

, de·lib·er·at·ed, de·lib·er·at·ing.

1. to think carefully or attentively; reflect:

   She deliberated for a long time before giving her decision.

   Synonyms: ruminate, cogitate

2. to consult or confer formally:

   The jury deliberated for three hours.

deliberate

adjective

1. carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentional

   a deliberate insult

2. careful or unhurried in speech or action

   a deliberate pace

verb

1. to consider (something) deeply; ponder; think over

Derived Forms

• deˈliberateness, noun
• deˈliberˌator, noun
• deˈliberately, adverb

Other Words From

• de·lib·er·ate·ly adverb
• de·lib·er·ate·ness noun
• de·lib·er·a·tor noun
• non·de·lib·er·ate adjective
• non·de·lib·er·ate·ness noun
• o·ver·de·lib·er·ate verb overdeliberated overdeliberating
• o·ver·de·lib·er·ate adjective
• o·ver·de·lib·er·ate·ness noun
• pre·de·lib·er·ate verb (used with object) predeliberated predeliberating
• pre·de·lib·er·ate adjective
• qua·si-de·lib·er·ate adjective
• re·de·lib·er·ate verb redeliberated redeliberating
• un·de·lib·er·ate adjective
• un·de·lib·er·ate·ness noun
• un·de·lib·er·at·ing adjective
• un·de·lib·er·at·ing·ly adverb
• well-de·lib·er·at·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deliberate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dēlīberātus (past participle of dēlīberāre “to consider”), equivalent to dē- “from, away from” + līber(āre) “to balance, weigh” (derivative of lībra “balance, scales”) + -ātus past participle suffix; de-, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of deliberate¹

C15: from Latin dēlīberāre to consider well, from lībrāre to weigh, from lībra scales

Synonym Study

Deliberate, intentional, premeditated, voluntary refer to something not happening by chance. Deliberate is applied to what is done not hastily but with full realization of what one is doing: a deliberate attempt to evade justice. Intentional is applied to what is definitely intended or done on purpose: an intentional omission. Premeditated is applied to what has been planned in advance: a premeditated crime. Voluntary is applied to what is done by a definite exercise of the will and not because of outward pressures: a voluntary enlistment. See slow.

Example Sentences

Nearly a year later, the eight-team conference is facing a rising tide of frustration as it deliberates whether to hold a spring season.

From Washington Post

The limitations baked into SKADNetwork are as intricate as they are deliberate.

From Digiday

Regardless of who you are, though, I believe we can all benefit from a more deliberate approach to how we spend our screen time.

From MIT Technology Review

You recommend having a “brief but deliberate conversation” about college merit aid with your eighth grader a couple of months after grammar-school graduation.

From Time

Republicans on the panel all denounced Greene’s remarks but called for a more deliberate approach to taking action against her.

From Washington Post

But we were attempting a deliberate naiveté, a decision to approach these books as if they might have something to teach us.

From The Daily Beast

“The lovers are seated across the room from each other,” he begins in his deliberate tones.

From The Daily Beast

Poindexter followed with a recitation of the Iran program filled with deliberate inaccuracies.

From The Daily Beast

A pitcher's life is one day of deliberate self-injury, followed by three days of healing, then a fresh injury.

From The Daily Beast

In or out of uniform his motion is languid, his voice relaxed and mellifluous, his movements deliberate, confident.

From The Daily Beast

The apparent slightness of these English changes reveals their deliberate subtlety.

From Project Gutenberg

Isabel, completely ignored, waited until the story was finished, and then made a deliberate move.

From Project Gutenberg

He made a deliberate effort to put himself in Zeal's place, and after several failures accomplished the feat.

From Project Gutenberg

For her to testify that she did not love—and had never loved Jean Baptiste, he knew would be a deliberate falsehood.

From Project Gutenberg

After tea Betty executed a quite deliberate manœuvre to avoid having him for a partner at tennis.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• calculated
• careful
• cautious
• cold-blooded
• conscious
• meticulous
• premeditated
• prudent
• purposeful
• studious
• thoughtful
• willful