deliberation
Americannoun
-
deliberations
plural
-
careful consideration before decision.
- Synonyms:
- forethought, reflection
-
formal consultation or discussion.
-
deliberate quality; leisureliness of movement or action; slowness.
noun
-
thoughtful, careful, or lengthy consideration
-
(often plural) formal discussion and debate, as of a committee, jury, etc
-
care, thoughtfulness, or absence of hurry, esp in movement or speech
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deliberation
1325–75; Middle English deliberacion < Latin dēlīberātiōn- (stem of dēlīberātiō ), equivalent to dēlīberāt ( us ) ( see deliberate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The process of carefully considering what to do is called deliberation, like your deliberation before making one of the most important decisions in your life. The noun deliberation comes from the Latin word deliberare, meaning “weigh,” or “consider well.” Whenever a person or group needs to work through all of the possible solutions to a problem, this is deliberation. Something that is deliberate is done on purpose, not by chance or accident — deliberation carries this same spirit, in that it is a carefully thought-out process of making a decision.
Vocabulary lists containing deliberation
Hamilton
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"The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton
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The Federalist Papers, No. 1 by Alexander Hamilton
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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.
See Examples For:
It focused on free speech, calling for “rigorous deliberation and engaged discourse” and arguing that difficult conversations should be “a feature, not a bug” of university life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever,” Stewart said in a video posted Monday to Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
“UC’s current test-free policy followed years of faculty review, regents’ deliberation, legal developments and pandemic-related access concerns,” a UC spokesperson said Wednesday, adding that the review now underway is “expedited” and “evidence-based.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The panel has twice previously sent the judge notes saying it could not come to a unanimous decision, but Thursday was the first hint of rancour in the deliberation room.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
She was to concede that she may have attributed more deliberation than was feasible to her thirteen-year-old self.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
In Ansolabehere’s memory, Bartlett’s then-wife, Lisa, overheard the writers’ deliberations and casually suggested, “Maybe she’s in love with Arnold.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
While the Fed put was dependent on the policy deliberations of one of the world’s most powerful monetary institutions, the AI put hinges on something more ephemeral — the confidence of millions of investors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
He will also consider the defense's push to release additional information on the jury deliberations, which lasted seven days.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Republic of Ireland faced Israel in Women's EuroBasket qualifiers last autumn and earlier this year after "extensive deliberations".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
After less than an hour of deliberations, the twelve men returned to the courtroom.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
