premeditated
Americanadjective
Related Words
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.
“Mr. Eric Holder, Jr. should not have been charged with First Degree Premeditated Deliberate murder in the unfortunate death of Mr. Asghedom,” Mr. Jansen wrote.
From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2022
Premeditated attack strategies have a mostly losing record so far.
From Slate • Oct. 15, 2019
Premeditated offenses often get harsher treatment than impulsive acts of rage or passion.
From New York Times • Mar. 4, 2011
The Exit Strategy: Cashing Out and Other Premeditated Escapes Recently I ran into an old friend – let’s call her Melanie – who is in the midst of exiting her successful marketing firm.
From Inc • Sep. 29, 2010
Premeditated indeed, when it was plain to every one, that it was by the merest accident that he happened to be in the avenue at the time.
From The Macdermots of Ballycloran by Trollope, Anthony
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.
