deliberate
[adjective dih-lib-er-it; verb dih-lib-uh-reyt]
- 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.
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- to weigh in the mind; consider: to deliberate a question.
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- 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.
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Origin of deliberate
Synonyms
See more synonyms for deliberate on Thesaurus.com1. purposeful; willful. 2. methodical, thoughtful, circumspect, cautious. 4. ponder. 5. cogitate, ruminate.
Synonym study
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.
Antonyms
1. accidental. 2. impulsive, precipitate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for deliberately
Contemporary Examples
He alleges that a third boy, aged 10 or 11, was deliberately hit by a car and killed by a member of the pedophile network in 1979.
Patrons eat their cannoli slowly and deliberately, dabbing the powdered sugar on their plates with licked fingers.
Nonetheless, Turing killed himself on June 7, 1954, in a deliberately prepared way, by eating a cyanide-laced apple.
He refused to be drawn on whether the authors might be guilty of a deliberately deception.
Second, penalties need to be increased for lying or deliberately withholding relevant requested information from Congress.
Historical Examples
Mike had deliberately interposed his body between Allis and the doorway.
ThoroughbredsW. A. Fraser
Deliberately he withdrew his attention from the unessentials.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
He was right: he shot as deliberately as he ever did at the butts.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
She spoke coldly and deliberately, "It's not a question of hurry," she replied.
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
Of course, Martin had not meant to disappoint her, nor deliberately hurt her.
DustMr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
deliberate
- carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentionala deliberate insult
- careful or unhurried in speech or actiona deliberate pace
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- to consider (something) deeply; ponder; think over
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Word Origin
C15: from Latin dēlīberāre to consider well, from lībrāre to weigh, from lībra scales
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
Word Origin and History for deliberately
deliberate
adj.
early 15c., "done with careful consideration," from Latin deliberatus "resolved upon, determined," past participle of deliberare (see deliberation). Meaning "slow, consciously unhurried" is attested by 1590s. Related: Deliberately.
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deliberate
v.
1540s, from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare (see deliberation). Related: Deliberated; deliberating.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper