deliberative
Americanadjective
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having the function of deliberating, as a legislative assembly.
a deliberative body.
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having to do with policy; dealing with the wisdom and expediency of a proposal.
a deliberative speech.
adjective
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involved in, organized for, or having the function of deliberating
a deliberative assembly
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characterized by or resulting from deliberation
a deliberative conclusion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deliberative
1545–55; < Latin dēlīberātīvus, equivalent to dēlīberāt ( us ) ( see deliberate) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Deliberative means carefully thought through or discussed. A jury meticulously considering all the evidence before reaching a verdict is one example of a deliberative process. If your mom is offered a great job in another country, she may respond immediately, but she's likely to be more deliberative, going over the pros and cons of moving far away for work that she loves. When you do something deliberative, you deliberate, carefully weighing all the options before making a decision. The Latin root deliberare means "consider carefully," or literally "weigh well."
Vocabulary lists containing deliberative
Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 2
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Vocabulary from Reading 2, Unit 2
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Thoughtful
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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.
And so, to me, a lot of friends in the Senate, a lot of well-meaning people, the Senate is aspirationally the world’s greatest deliberative body, and it should be that, but it’s not that.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
There are, however, still tangible benefits to this deliberative approach.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026
Then the more deliberative System 2 thinking will kick in, where we consider more variables, including our own biases and those of others.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
“These processes are deliberative, thorough, and intended to bring substantive change to how we serve our residents.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025
In the midst of the pandemonium Gershom Bulkeley quietly reached for the copybook, studied it carefully, and turned a shrewd, deliberative eye upon Kit.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
