premeditated
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See deliberate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of premeditated
Explanation
Something premeditated is planned in advanced and has a purpose behind it. In other words, it's no accident. A premeditated crime involves careful planning and research before it happens. Premeditated comes from a combination of two Latin words: pre, meaning "before," and meditat, meaning “to ponder.” If you ponder — or think about — something before you act, that makes it premeditated. If you watch a lot of TV crime dramas, you may be familiar with the term "premeditated murder." This means that the murderer didn't just lose his temper and kill someone in the moment — instead, he went after a specific person on purpose.
Vocabulary lists containing premeditated
Power Prefix: pre-
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Twelve Angry Men
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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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.
They believe that this was intentional and premeditated, and I think they’re going to stand by those beliefs.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
The events of that night have been long a subject of heated debate in South Korea, particularly over whether the murder was premeditated.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
For the actor, Padilha says, choosing what he wants to do is always instinctual, never premeditated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
The prosecutor’s office added that early investigations indicated the attacks on government property were premeditated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2025
For me, France was never a specific, premeditated destination.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
