Adjacent Words

Deliberate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DELIBERATE, v.i. [L. To weigh.] To weigh in the mind; to consider and examine the reasons for and against a measure; to estimate the weight or force of arguments, or the probable consequences of a measure, in order to a choice or decision; to pause and consider. A wise prince will deliberate before he wages war.
The woman that deliberates is lost.
DELIBERATE, v.t. To balance in the mind; to weigh; to consider.
DELIBERATE, a.
1. Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; applies to persons; as a deliberate judge or counselor.
2. Formed with deliberation; well advised or considered; not sudden or rash; as a deliberate opinion; a deliberate measure, or result.
3. Slow; as a deliberate death or echo.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: carefully thought out in advance; "a calculated insult"; "with measured irony" [syn: deliberate, calculated, measured]
2: unhurried and with care and dignity; "walking at the same measured pace"; "with all deliberate speed" [syn: careful, deliberate, measured] v
1: think about carefully; weigh; "They considered the possibility of a strike"; "Turn the proposal over in your mind" [syn: consider, debate, moot, turn over, deliberate]
2: discuss the pros and cons of an issue [syn: debate, deliberate]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (-ated; -ating) Date: 14th century intransitive verb to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully transitive verb to think about deliberately and often with formal discussion before reaching a decision Synonyms: see think II. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare to consider carefully, perhaps alteration of *delibrare, from de- + libra scale, pound Date: 15th century 1. characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration <a deliberate decision> 2. characterized by awareness of the consequences <deliberate falsehood> 3. slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved <a deliberate pace> Synonyms: see voluntary • deliberately adverb • deliberateness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & v. --adj. 1 a intentional (a deliberate foul). b fully considered; not impulsive (made a deliberate choice). 2 slow in deciding; cautious (a ponderous and deliberate mind). 3 (of movement etc.) leisurely and unhurried. --v. 1 intr. think carefully; take counsel (the jury deliberated for an hour). 2 tr. consider, discuss carefully (deliberated the question). Derivatives: deliberately adv. deliberateness n. deliberator n. Etymology: L deliberatus past part. of deliberare (as DE-, librare weigh f. libra balance)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Deliberate De*lib"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deliberated; p. pr. & vb. n. Deliberating.] To weigh in the mind; to consider the reasons for and against; to consider maturely; to reflect upon; to ponder; as, to deliberate a question.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Deliberate De*lib"er*ate, v. i. To take counsel with one's self; to weigh the arguments for and against a proposed course of action; to reflect; to consider; to hesitate in deciding; -- sometimes with on, upon, about, concerning. The woman that deliberates is lost. --Addison.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Deliberate De*lib"er*ate, a. [L. deliberatus, p. p. of deliberare to deliberate; de- + librare to weigh. See Librate.] 1. Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; -- applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor. ``These deliberate fools.'' --Shak. 2. Formed with deliberation; well-advised; carefully considered; not sudden or rash; as, a deliberate opinion; a deliberate measure or result. Settled visage and deliberate word. --Shak. 3. Not hasty or sudden; slow. --Hooker. His enunciation was so deliberate. --W. Wirt.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(deliberated) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you do something that is deliberate, you planned or decided to do it beforehand, and so it happens on purpose rather than by chance. Witnesses say the firing was deliberate and sustained. = intentional ADJ • deliberately It looks as if the blaze was started deliberately... Mr Christopher's answer was deliberately vague. ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj 2. If a movement or action is deliberate, it is done slowly and carefully. ...stepping with deliberate slowness up the steep paths. ADJ • deliberately The Japanese have acted calmly and deliberately. ADV: ADV after v 3. If you deliberate, you think about something carefully, especially before making a very important decision. She deliberated over the decision for a long time before she made up her mind... The Court of Criminal Appeals has been deliberating his case for almost two weeks. = ponder VERB: V over/about n, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. Reflect, ponder, consider, think, cogitate, ruminate, muse, meditate, take counsel with one's self. II. a. 1. Wary, cautious, careful, circumspect, considerate, thoughtful. 2. Well considered, well advised. 3. Purposed, done on purpose, studied, done in cold blood. 4. Slow, unhurried, leisurely.

Moby Thesaurus

advise with, advised, aforethought, aimed, aimed at, air, ambling, analyze, back down, balance, bargain, be abstracted, brood, brood over, calculated, call in, calm, canny, canvass, careful, cautious, chaw, chew over, chew the cud, circumspect, claudicant, cold-blooded, collected, collogue, comment upon, compare notes, composed, con over, confer, confer with, confident, conscious, consider, considerate, considered, consult, consult with, contemplate, contemplated, controvert, cool, counsel, crawling, creeping, creeping like snail, deal with, debate, deliberate over, deliberate upon, deliberated, demur, designed, digest, discourse about, discreet, discuss, discuss with, dispassionate, easy, envisaged, envisioned, even, examine, exchange observations, exchange views, falter, faltering, fastidious, fear, flagging, foot-dragging, foresighted, forethoughtful, gentle, gingerly, go into, gradual, guarded, halting, handle, hang back, hasteless, have conversations, heedful, hem and haw, hesitant, hesitate, hobbled, hobbling, hold conference, hover, hum and haw, idle, imperturbable, inactive, indolent, intended, intentional, introspect, investigate, jib, judicious, knock around, knowing, languid, languorous, lazy, leaving out nothing, leisurely, limping, lumbering, meant, measured, meditate, meditate upon, meditated, methodical, meticulous, mindful, moderate, mull, mull over, muse, muse on, muse over, negotiate, noncommittal, of design, on guard, orderly, overlooking no possibility, paced, painstaking, palaver, parley, pass under review, pause, pawky, perpend, planned, play around with, play with, poking, poky, politic, ponder, ponder over, powwow, prearranged, preconceived, premeditated, prepense, projected, proposed, provident, prudent, pull back, punctilious, purposed, purposeful, purposive, put heads together, rap, reason, reason about, reason the point, reason with, refer to, reflect, reflect over, regardful, regular, relaxed, reluctant, retreat, review, revolve, ruminate, ruminate over, run over, safe, sauntering, schemed, scruple, scrupulous, serene, shilly-shally, shuffling, shy, sift, sit down together, sit down with, slack, slothful, slow, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow to act, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, speculate, staggering, steady, stick at, stickle, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain at, strolling, studied, studious, study, sure, systematic, take counsel, take up, take up with, talk, talk about, talk of, talk over, teleological, tentative, think about, think over, think twice about, thorough, thought-out, thoughtful, thresh out, toddling, tortoiselike, tottering, toy with, treat, trudging, turn over, turtlelike, unadventurous, uncommunicative, undaring, unenterprising, unfaltering, unhasty, unhesitating, unhurried, unprecipitate, unruffled, ventilate, voluntary, waddling, weigh, willful, withdraw, witting, yield