deliberate
1 of 2verb
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt 
deliberated; deliberating
intransitive verb
: to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully
The jury deliberated for several days before reaching a verdict.
transitive verb
: to think about deliberately and often with formal discussion before reaching a decision
deliberate the question
was deliberating whether or not to accept the offer
deliberate
2 of 2adjective
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-rət
-ˈlib-rət
1
: characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration
a deliberate decision
Ms. Barker herself has said that the decision to write about the war was a deliberate response to patronizing reviews of her working-class settings …
Claudia Roth Pierpont
Claudia Roth Pierpont2
: characterized by awareness of the consequences
a deliberate exaggeration
a deliberate act of protest
3
: slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved
The jeweler worked at a deliberate pace.
deliberateness noun
Synonyms
Verb
- chew over
- cogitate
- consider
- contemplate
- debate
- entertain
- eye
- kick around
- meditate
- mull (over)
- perpend
- ponder
- pore (over)
- question
- revolve
- ruminate
- study
- think (about or over)
- turn
- weigh
- wrestle (with)
Adjective
- advised
- calculated
- considered
- knowing
- measured
- reasoned
- studied
- thoughtful
- thought-out
- weighed
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict. They will deliberate the question. Adjective She spoke in a clear, deliberate manner. He advocates a slow and deliberate approach to the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web Nubyjas Wilborn | Nwilborn@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2022 On Monday, a jury will continue to deliberate the fate of former Rocky Mount, Virginia, police officer Thomas Robertson, charged with multiple felony counts including obstructing Congress' certification of the electoral college votes. Scott Macfarlane, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2022 As states continue to deliberate how children can safely attend school amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 isn't the only illness on people's minds. Valerie Pavilonis, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022 The jury had asked on Monday to review certain pieces of evidence after being sent back to deliberate with more than 600 pieces of evidence that were introduced during the trial. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2022 After hearing the new instructions, the jury was sent back to deliberate the three charges further. Tim De Chant, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2022 After closing arguments Wednesday morning, the jury will be instructed on the law and then sent to deliberate. Omar Jimenez, CNN, 8 Dec. 2021 Jury deliberations begin in Rittenhouse trial Following two weeks of proceedings and eight days of testimony, the jury in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial has been sent away to deliberate. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2021 Jurors were sent back to deliberate around 3:30 p.m. Thursday after a few hours of closing arguments and reached their decision about 5:15 p.m. NBC News, 8 Oct. 2021 Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2022 From eliminating menthol flavoring to capping nicotine levels, the FDA has made a deliberate effort to capitalize on the existing and new authorities granted by Congress. Michael B. Farber And Anand Shah, STAT, 27 Aug. 2022 There is no question that this was a deliberate effort. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 But Toboni suggested that approach was a reflection of the players who were available rather than a deliberate effort to target a specific type. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022 If voters were still forced to identify a finite number of nominees, many would make a more deliberate effort to spread their votes amongst a larger number of shows. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2022 And after a deliberate effort to program feel-good films in 2021 – a recognition by the programming team that its pandemic-weary audience was looking for a pick-me-up – Chirilov says Transilvania has also reclaimed its old pugnacious spirit. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 16 June 2022 In a number of European countries, that’s directly related to their deliberate effort to wean themselves off dependence on Russian energy imports. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 June 2022 In branding the Eames Institute, there’s a deliberate effort to flip the order of the Eames’s names. Anne Quito, Quartz, 3 May 2022 See More
Verb
Harsin will deliberate with his staff Sunday afternoon, and the players have Monday off before Tuesday’s start of classes at the university. Nubyjas Wilborn | Nwilborn@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2022 On Monday, a jury will continue to deliberate the fate of former Rocky Mount, Virginia, police officer Thomas Robertson, charged with multiple felony counts including obstructing Congress' certification of the electoral college votes. Scott Macfarlane, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2022 As states continue to deliberate how children can safely attend school amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 isn't the only illness on people's minds. Valerie Pavilonis, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022 The jury had asked on Monday to review certain pieces of evidence after being sent back to deliberate with more than 600 pieces of evidence that were introduced during the trial. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2022 After hearing the new instructions, the jury was sent back to deliberate the three charges further. Tim De Chant, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2022 After closing arguments Wednesday morning, the jury will be instructed on the law and then sent to deliberate. Omar Jimenez, CNN, 8 Dec. 2021 Jury deliberations begin in Rittenhouse trial Following two weeks of proceedings and eight days of testimony, the jury in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial has been sent away to deliberate. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2021 Jurors were sent back to deliberate around 3:30 p.m. Thursday after a few hours of closing arguments and reached their decision about 5:15 p.m. NBC News, 8 Oct. 2021 Adjective
Law enforcement officers worry the candy-colored pills are being produced as a deliberate effort to drive addiction amongst children and young adults, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2022 From eliminating menthol flavoring to capping nicotine levels, the FDA has made a deliberate effort to capitalize on the existing and new authorities granted by Congress. Michael B. Farber And Anand Shah, STAT, 27 Aug. 2022 There is no question that this was a deliberate effort. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 But Toboni suggested that approach was a reflection of the players who were available rather than a deliberate effort to target a specific type. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022 If voters were still forced to identify a finite number of nominees, many would make a more deliberate effort to spread their votes amongst a larger number of shows. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2022 And after a deliberate effort to program feel-good films in 2021 – a recognition by the programming team that its pandemic-weary audience was looking for a pick-me-up – Chirilov says Transilvania has also reclaimed its old pugnacious spirit. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 16 June 2022 In a number of European countries, that’s directly related to their deliberate effort to wean themselves off dependence on Russian energy imports. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 June 2022 In branding the Eames Institute, there’s a deliberate effort to flip the order of the Eames’s names. Anne Quito, Quartz, 3 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Verb
Middle English, from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare to consider carefully, perhaps alteration of *delibrare, from de- + libra scale, pound
First Known Use
Verb
1536y, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
deliberate 1 of 2
verb
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt
deliberated; deliberating
: to think about carefully
deliberate
2 of 2adjective
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-rət
-ˈli-brət
1
: showing careful thought
a deliberate decision
2
: done or said on purpose
a deliberate lie
3
: slow in action : not hurried
a deliberate pace
Legal Definition
deliberate 1 of 2
verb
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt
deliberated; deliberating
intransitive verb
: to think about and weigh or discuss issues and decisions carefully
the jury retired to deliberate
transitive verb
: to think about or evaluate
deliberate
2 of 2adjective
de·lib·er·ate di-ˈli-bə-rət
1
: characterized by or resulting from careful consideration
especially : characterized by or resulting from evaluation done in a cool state of blood and with a fixed purpose
deliberate murder
compare premeditated 2
: characterized by an understanding of the nature of a thing or act and its consequences
deliberate falsehoods
deliberate 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in considered
decided on as a result of careful thought the judge made a deliberate decision to impose the maximum sentence Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- considered
- calculated
- reasoned
- careful
- advised
- thoughtful
- studied
- planned
- intended
- measured
- premeditated
- intentional
- thought-out
- weighed
- informed
- designed
- purposeful
- knowing
- aforethought
- meticulous
- educated
- projected
- prepense
- prudent
- foresighted
- forethoughtful
- provident
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- casual
- haphazard
- random
- uncalculated
- unconsidered
- unadvised
- unstudied
- hasty
- chance
- aimless
- spontaneous
- hurried
- purposeless
- desultory
- sudden
- ill-advised
- automatic
- instinctive
- rushed
- abrupt
- impetuous
- impromptu
- half-cocked
- extemporaneous
- hit-or-miss
2
as in conscious
made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing a deliberate act of vandalism that should not go unpunished Synonyms & Similar Words
- conscious
- intentional
- voluntary
- intended
- purposeful
- willful
- willed
- purposive
- wilful
- planned
- calculated
- knowing
- witting
- designed
- premeditated
- set
- thoughtful
- considered
- reasoned
- advised
- studied
- measured
- weighed
- optional
- elective
- volunteer
- discretionary
- prepense
- premeditative
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inadvertent
- unintentional
- accidental
- haphazard
- random
- unwitting
- incidental
- chance
- sudden
- aimless
- purposeless
- nondeliberate
- abrupt
- desultory
- impetuous
- necessary
- involuntary
- spontaneous
- nonpurposive
- mandatory
- compulsory
- forced
- instinctive
- required
- hit-or-miss
- casual
- unpremeditated
- obligatory
- impromptu
- unforced
- impulsive
- extemporaneous
- ordered
- nonelective
- coerced
deliberate
2 of 2verb
as in to contemplate
to give serious and careful thought to the jury deliberated the case for three days before returning a verdict Synonyms & Similar Words
- contemplate
- debate
- ponder
- consider
- entertain
- study
- question
- eye
- chew on
- analyze
- chew over
- review
- ruminate
- weigh
- explore
- cogitate
- perpend
- meditate
- revolve
- look at
- kick around
- reason
- mull (over)
- digest
- turn
- beat one's brains out (about)
- cudgel one's brains (about)
- believe
- pore (over)
- conclude
- wrestle (with)
- think (about or over)
- second-guess
- muse (upon)
- reminisce
- conceive
- absorb
- reflect (on or upon)
- speculate (about)
- opine
- assimilate
- fixate (on or upon)
- brood (about or over)
- dwell (on or upon)
- fret (about or over)
- obsess (about or over)
- drink (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slight
- ignore
- disregard
- overlook
- dismiss
- reject
- pooh
- pooh-pooh
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of deliberate are intentional, voluntary, and willing. While all these words mean "done or brought about of one's own will," deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.
deliberate acts of sabotage
The meanings of intentional and deliberate largely overlap; however, intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.
the intentional concealment of vital information
In some situations, the words voluntary and deliberate are roughly equivalent. However, voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.
a voluntary confession
While the synonyms willing and deliberate are close in meaning, willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.
willing obedience