Adjacent Words

Prepense definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PREPENSE, a. prepens'. [L. proepensus, proependeo; proe and pendeo, to incline to hand down.]
Preconceived; premeditated; aforethought.
Malice prepense is necessary to constitute murder.
PREPENSE, v.t. prepens'. [supra.]
To weigh or consider beforehand. [Not used.]
PREPENSE, v.i. prepens'. To deliberate beforehand. [Not used.]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: by shortening & alteration from earlier purpensed, from Middle English, past participle of purpensen to deliberate, premeditate, from Anglo-French purpenser, from pur- thoroughly + penser to think — more at purchase, pensive Date: 1702 planned beforehand ; premeditated — usually used postpositively <malice prepense> • prepensely adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. (usu. placed after noun) esp. Law deliberate, intentional (malice prepense). Derivatives: prepensely adv. Etymology: earlier prepensed past part. of obs. prepense (v.) alt. f. earlier purpense f. AF & OF purpenser (as PUR-, penser): see PENSIVE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepense Pre*pense", v. t. [Pref. pre + F. penser to think. See Pansy.] To weigh or consider beforehand; to premeditate. [Obs.] --Spenser. Sir T. Elyot.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepense Pre*pense", v. i. To deliberate beforehand. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepense Pre*pense", a. [See Pansy, and cf. Prepense, v. t.] Devised, contrived, or planned beforehand; preconceived; premeditated; aforethought; -- usually placed after the word it qualifies; as, malice prepense. This has not arisen from any misrepresentation or error prepense. --Southey.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Malice Mal"ice, n. [F. malice, fr. L. malitia, from malus bad, ill, evil, prob. orig., dirty, black; cf. Gr. ? black, Skr. mala dirt. Cf. Mauger.] 1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil. ``Nor set down aught in malice.'' --Shak. Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct passions of the mind. --Ld. Holt. 2. (Law) Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness. Malice aforethought or prepense, malice previously and deliberately entertained. Syn: Spite; ill will; malevolence; grudge; pique; bitterness; animosity; malignity; maliciousness; rancor; virulence. Usage: See Spite. -- Malevolence, Malignity, Malignancy. Malice is a stronger word than malevolence, which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it about. Malignity is intense and deepseated malice. It implies a natural delight in hating and wronging others. One who is malignant must be both malevolent and malicious; but a man may be malicious without being malignant. Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy. --Somerville. in some connections, malignity seems rather more pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper and conduct in particular instances. --Cogan.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Devised or contrived beforehand, premeditated, aforethought.