deliberately

American  

[dih-lib-er-it-lee] / dɪˈlɪb ər ɪt li /

adverb

1. on purpose; with clear intent.

   Is this just bad journalism, or an attempt to deliberately mislead the public?

2. with careful thought or consideration.

   The board is committed to moving deliberately on this important initiative.

3. in a calm and unhurried way.

   He was careful to move slowly and deliberately so as not to scare them off.

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Other Word Forms

• nondeliberately
  adverb
• overdeliberately
  adverb
• predeliberately
  adverb
• quasi-deliberately
  adverb
• undeliberately
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of deliberately

deliberate ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Deliberately means on purpose. For example, you may have noticed how the schoolyard bully deliberately chose to pick on the smallest kids at recess. The adverb deliberately originates from the Latin word deliberatus, meaning "resolved upon, determined." Used to describe an action made intentionally, it can also mean doing something in a careful, thoughtful manner. You probably cringed when the pitcher deliberately hurled the ball into the star batter's leg so he would walk rather than hitting another home run. Or perhaps you witnessed a college professor stroking his beard deliberately in response to a classmate's challenging question.

Related Words

• consciously
• knowingly
• pointedly
• purposely
• studiously
• voluntarily
• willfully