deliberate
adjective
carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional.
had been deliberating
-
past perfect progressiveof deliberate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
The eight men and two women on the jury had been deliberating over three days since Tuesday morning.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Sanchez’s attorney, Michael Schwartz, said the jury had been deliberating for about 3½ days before the mistrial was declared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2024
Jurors had been deliberating for about seven days.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
The 12-day trial had concluded and the jury had been deliberating for five days when it was found.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2022
And then the Marquis, who had been deliberating, spoke the words which brought her to herself.
From The Wicked Marquis by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim
