de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt 
deliberated; deliberating
: to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully
The jury deliberated for several days before reaching a verdict.
: to think about deliberately and often with formal discussion before reaching a decision
deliberate the question
was deliberating whether or not to accept the offer
de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈli-bə-rət
-ˈlib-rət
1
: characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration
a deliberate decision
Ms. Barker herself has said that the decision to write about the war was a deliberate response to patronizing reviews of her working-class settings …—
Claudia Roth Pierpont
Claudia Roth Pierpont2
: characterized by awareness of the consequences
a deliberate exaggeration
a deliberate act of protest
3
: slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved
The jeweler worked at a deliberate pace.
deliberateness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of deliberate in a Sentence
Verb
The jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict.
They will deliberate the question.
Adjective
She spoke in a clear, deliberate manner.
He advocates a slow and deliberate approach to the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated for more than 20 hours over three days.
—Dylan Lovan, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Nov. 2024
By Nik Popli/east Lansing, Mich., TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, was arrested this week and charged with deliberate homicide in the killing of Dustin Kjersem, 35, whose body was found in his tent near Big Sky on Oct. 12, officials said.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deliberate 
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Verb
The jury began deliberating after closing arguments concluded on October 24.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated for more than 20 hours over three days.
—Dylan Lovan, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Her remarks were a deliberate attempt to engage with voters who feel disillusioned by both political parties’ handling of international issues.
—By Nik Popli/east Lansing, Mich., TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, was arrested this week and charged with deliberate homicide in the killing of Dustin Kjersem, 35, whose body was found in his tent near Big Sky on Oct. 12, officials said.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deliberate
Dictionary Entries Near deliberate
Cite this Entry
“Deliberate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliberate. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deliberate
1 of 2 verb
de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈlib-ə-ˌrāt
deliberated; deliberating
: to think about carefully : consider problems and decisions carefully
deliberate before answering
deliberate
2 of 2 adjective
de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈlib-(ə-)rət
1
: decided on as a result of careful thought : carefully considered
a deliberate judgment
2
: done or said on purpose
a deliberate lie
3
: considering facts and arguments carefully : careful and slow in deciding
a deliberate speaker
4
: slow in action : not hurried
deliberate movements
deliberately
adverb
deliberateness
noun
Etymology
Verb
from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare "to weigh in the mind," derived from de- "from, away" and libra "scale, pound" — related to equilibrium, libra
Word Origin
To weigh a decision is to think about it carefully, comparing one fact or idea with another as if by balancing them on a scale. The notion that slow and careful thought is like using a scale has given us the word deliberate. Deliberate can be traced back to the Latin verb deliberare, meaning "to weigh in the mind." The core of this word is the noun libra, meaning "a scale." A deliberate decision, therefore, is one that has been carefully weighed.
Legal Definition
deliberate
1 of 2 verb
de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt
deliberated; deliberating
: to think about and weigh or discuss issues and decisions carefully
the jury retired to deliberate
: to think about or evaluate
deliberate
2 of 2 adjective
de·lib·er·ate
di-ˈli-bə-rət
1
: characterized by or resulting from careful consideration
especially
: characterized by or resulting from evaluation done in a cool state of blood and with a fixed purpose
deliberate murder
compare premeditated
2
: characterized by an understanding of the nature of a thing or act and its consequences
deliberate falsehoods
deliberately
adverb
deliberateness
noun
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