deliberation
Americannoun
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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
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care, thoughtfulness, or absence of hurry, esp in movement or speech
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
To take it from Otterstrom’s fellow Utahns, the betrayal is not just that the already data-center-dense state is getting another one, but that they feel there was no opportunity for democratic deliberation.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
“Whatever you see in society at large you see in the jury deliberation room,” said jury consultant Laurie Kuslansky.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Following an hour-long deliberation, the committee decided not to revoke Shindig's licence or to add any further conditions to it.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said when she accepted the jury’s conclusion after about two hours of deliberation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
With great deliberation, he put his feet on the floor and stood up.
From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren
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.
