deliberation
Americannoun
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careful consideration before decision.
- Synonyms:
- forethought, reflection
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formal consultation or discussion.
-
deliberate quality; leisureliness of movement or action; slowness.
noun
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thoughtful, careful, or lengthy consideration
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(often plural) formal discussion and debate, as of a committee, jury, etc
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care, thoughtfulness, or absence of hurry, esp in movement or speech
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
As a player, I always preferred limiting the amount of deliberation inside my head in the build-up to a Test.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
To take it from Otterstrom’s fellow Utahns, the betrayal is not just that the already data-center-dense state is getting another one, but that they feel there was no opportunity for democratic deliberation.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
Diggs remained stoic in the courtroom as the verdicts were announced, following less that two hours of deliberation by the jury.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
It promotes deliberation and reasoned decision-making resulting in lengthy opinions that explain the justices’ rationale and provide guidance for lower courts in future cases.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
She sighed, and smoothed her hair with her hand; and he saw then that her hand was trembling and that her calm deliberation was all a frenzied pose.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
