premeditation

American  

[pri-med-i-tey-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

Premeditation might throw her out of balance, conscious art might exhibit her a scheming courtesan; just in her artlessness lay all her magic.

From Little Novels of Italy by Hewlett, Maurice Henry

Premeditation is never present, he acts under the powerful inspiration of the moment, and his crime is an isolated event quite unconnected with his conduct in general.

From A Plea for the Criminal Being a reply to Dr. Chapple's work: 'The Fertility of the Unfit', and an Attempt to explain the leading principles of Criminological and Reformatory Science by Kayll, James Leslie Allan

Premeditation haunts criminals, and it is in this manner that treason begins.

From The History of a Crime The Testimony of an Eye-Witness by Hugo, Victor