deliberately
Americanadverb
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on purpose; with clear intent.
Is this just bad journalism, or an attempt to deliberately mislead the public?
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with careful thought or consideration.
The board is committed to moving deliberately on this important initiative.
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in a calm and unhurried way.
He was careful to move slowly and deliberately so as not to scare them off.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deliberately
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deliberately
"Of Mice and Men"
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Touching Spirit Bear
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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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.
“Open to multiple interpretations” and “left deliberately ambiguous,” as Mr. Hickey notes, the series is being presented in its entirety—17 episodes—by the Criterion Channel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
But it is also one the majority deliberately declines to answer in quantitative terms.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026
Indeed, the Maestro was famous for being deliberately ambiguous to keep the financial markets guessing.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
In an interview after leaving office, Greenspan admitted that he had been deliberately cryptic in his public statements in order to discourage market players from trading on his remarks.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
But what are we to do when a work deliberately seems devoid of apparent meaning?
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
