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
-
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
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.
The results of those explorations, and their potential for the future, are presented in his new book,"Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?"
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2025
Deliberation “consumes a lot of working memory resources,” while intuition lets people arrive at an answer instantaneously.
From National Geographic • Aug. 17, 2023
“Being a yokozuna comes with greater responsibility, including acting as a role model,” Hironori Yano, the head of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, said in 2019.
From New York Times • Sep. 27, 2021
Yokozuna Deliberation Council chairman Hironori Yano told a news conference that he learned of his intention to quit from his stable master.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2021
Deliberation is a process of thought which is very elaborate and very exhausting.
From Analyzing Character by Blackford, Katherine M. H.
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.
