deliberate
Americanadjective
-
carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional.
a deliberate lie.
- Antonyms:
- accidental
-
characterized by deliberation or cautious consideration; careful or slow in deciding.
Moving away from the city and all its advantages required a deliberate decision.
- Synonyms:
- cautious, circumspect, thoughtful, methodical
- Antonyms:
- rash, precipitate, impulsive
-
leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried.
moving with a deliberate step.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentional
a deliberate insult
-
careful or unhurried in speech or action
a deliberate pace
verb
Related Words
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. See slow.
Other Word Forms
- deliberately adverb
- deliberateness noun
- deliberator noun
- nondeliberate adjective
- nondeliberateness noun
- overdeliberate verb
- overdeliberateness noun
- predeliberate verb (used with object)
- quasi-deliberate adjective
- redeliberate verb
- undeliberate adjective
- undeliberateness noun
- undeliberating adjective
- undeliberatingly adverb
- well-deliberated adjective
Etymology
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; de-, -ate 1
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.
Police said they were investigating whether the hit was deliberate or accidental.
From BBC
It's a deliberate strategy she picked up from watching one of her MP colleagues.
From BBC
It rolled across Gwanghwamun Square, lingering - heavy and deliberate - grounding the spectacle in something that felt far older.
From BBC
The distinction is deliberate: Option A trades scrutiny for relief; Option B trades opacity for exposure.
This new design allows scientists to better observe and understand the reactions happening on the surface, opening the door to more deliberate and optimized catalyst development.
From Science Daily
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.
