deliberate

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

See synonyms for: deliberate deliberated deliberates deliberating on Thesaurus.com

adjective

carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional: a deliberate lie.
characterized by deliberation or cautious consideration; careful or slow in deciding: Moving away from the city and all its advantages required a deliberate decision.

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.

to weigh in the mind; consider: to deliberate a question.

verb (used without object),de·lib·er·at·ed, de·lib·er·at·ing.

to think carefully or attentively; reflect: She deliberated for a long time before giving her decision.
to consult or confer formally: The jury deliberated for three hours.

Origin of deliberate

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; see de-, -ate¹

synonym study For deliberate

1. 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. 3. See slow.

Other words for deliberate

1	conscious, purposive; willful
2	methodical, thoughtful, circumspect, cautious
4	ponder
5	cogitate, ruminate

See synonyms for deliberate on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for deliberate

1	accidental
2	impulsive, precipitate, rash

See antonyms for deliberate on Thesaurus.com

Other words from deliberate

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, o·ver·de·lib·er·at·ed, o·ver·de·lib·er·at·ing.
o·ver·de·lib·er·ate, adjective
o·ver·de·lib·er·ate·ness, noun
pre·de·lib·er·ate, verb (used with object), pre·de·lib·er·at·ed, pre·de·lib·er·at·ing.
pre·de·lib·er·ate, adjective
qua·si-de·lib·er·ate, adjective
re·de·lib·er·ate, verb, re·de·lib·er·at·ed, re·de·lib·er·at·ing.
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

Words Nearby deliberate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deliberate in a sentence

Nearly a year later, the eight-team conference is facing a rising tide of frustration as it deliberates whether to hold a spring season.
Ivy League sports were shut down quickly by coronavirus. A restart is proving much slower. | Glynn A. Hill | February 10, 2021 | Washington Post
The limitations baked into SKADNetwork are as intricate as they are deliberate.
For the IDFA-curious, WTF is Apple’s SKADNetwork? | Seb Joseph | February 8, 2021 | 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.
How to have a better relationship with your tech | Amy Nordrum | February 6, 2021 | 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.
Paying for College Can Be Overwhelming. Here's What You Need to Know to Find an Affordable Option | Sean Gregory | February 5, 2021 | Time
Republicans on the panel all denounced Greene’s remarks but called for a more deliberate approach to taking action against her.
McCarthy moves to keep splintering GOP intact, with protection for both Cheney and Greene | Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane | February 4, 2021 | Washington Post

But we were attempting a deliberate naiveté, a decision to approach these books as if they might have something to teach us.
American Democracy Under Threat for 250 Years | Jedediah Purdy | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“The lovers are seated across the room from each other,” he begins in his deliberate tones.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Poindexter followed with a recitation of the Iran program filled with deliberate inaccuracies.
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations | Malcolm Byrne | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A pitcher's life is one day of deliberate self-injury, followed by three days of healing, then a fresh injury.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up | Tom Boswell | September 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In or out of uniform his motion is languid, his voice relaxed and mellifluous, his movements deliberate, confident.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up | Tom Boswell | September 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The apparent slightness of these English changes reveals their deliberate subtlety.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature | Moncure Daniel Conway
Isabel, completely ignored, waited until the story was finished, and then made a deliberate move.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
He made a deliberate effort to put himself in Zeal's place, and after several failures accomplished the feat.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
For her to testify that she did not love—and had never loved Jean Baptiste, he knew would be a deliberate falsehood.
The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
After tea Betty executed a quite deliberate manœuvre to avoid having him for a partner at tennis.
Uncanny Tales | Various

British Dictionary definitions for deliberate

deliberate

adjective(dɪˈlɪbərɪt)

carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentional: a deliberate insult
careful or unhurried in speech or action: a deliberate pace

verb(dɪˈlɪbəˌreɪt)

to consider (something) deeply; ponder; think over

Origin of deliberate

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

Derived forms of deliberate

deliberately, adverb
deliberateness, noun
deliberator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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