premeditation

American  

[pri-med-i-tay-shuhn] / prɪˌmɛd ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of premeditating.

2. Law. sufficient forethought to impute deliberation and intent to commit the act.

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premeditation British  

/ prɪˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. law prior resolve to do some act or to commit a crime

2. the act of premeditating

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Etymology

Origin of premeditation

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin praemeditātiōn- (stem of praemeditātiō ) a considering beforehand. See premeditate, -ion

Explanation

Premeditation is when you plan something ahead of time. A car thief's premeditation might include following a driver and noting where he typically parks his Mercedes. You're most likely to see the noun premeditation when someone's talking about crime. Almost any kind of crime or wrongdoing is considered worse, especially in a courtroom, if there's premeditation involved. An assault that's spontaneous isn't punished as harshly as one that involves premeditation, in which the attacker plans the assault before carrying it out. The Latin root, praemeditationem, combines prae, "before," and meditari, "to consider."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

premeditation

Making a U-turn, he added, is evidence of premeditation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

He had delivered the day’s biggest laugh when, in a dramatic twist at the end of the trial, the prosecution had called him to the stand to prove premeditation on Gamble’s part.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

He said a whole-life tariff could only be given in sadistic or sexual cases, those involving abduction or a high level of premeditation.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

In “The Thing at Hand,” DiFranco embraces living completely in the moment, beyond identity or premeditation.

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2024

Having established premeditation of great degree, Green left the witness to the ministrations of the defense.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote