Word
deliberate
Phoneticsde·lib·er·ate
/dɪˈɫɪbɝˌeɪt/
Definitions
01intentional
adj. done on purpose and not by accident.
adj. done consciously and intentionally; resulting from a purposeful decision.
“It wasn't a mistake; it was a deliberate attempt to make me look bad.”
“The company made a deliberate choice to ignore the safety warnings in order to meet the production deadline.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02slow and careful
adj. slow, calm, and careful in the way you move or speak.
adj. characterised by a slow, unhurried, and careful pace, often to avoid error or to show confidence.
“He spoke in a slow, deliberate voice so that everyone could understand him.”
“The surgeon moved with deliberate precision, aware that even a millimetre of error could result in permanent nerve damage.”
Formal
03to think carefully
v. to think about something very carefully, usually before making an important decision.
v. to engage in long and careful consideration; often used in legal or formal contexts regarding a group decision.
“The jury will now deliberate to decide if the man is guilty or innocent.”
“The board of directors spent several hours deliberating the merits of the merger before finally calling for a vote.”
Usage
Often used as an intransitive verb when describing a jury or committee.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Stress narrows attention and pushes people toward fast, intuitive judgments at the very moment they need slow, deliberate ones.” “Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, on Saturday urged AI companies to take a more deliberate approach to development.” “Judge Sullivan denied the request and sent jurors back to deliberate.” “And then there are cable faults - a far more common risk than deliberate attacks.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English deliberat(e), borrowed from Latin dēlīberātus, perfect passive participle of dēlīberō (“to consider, weigh well”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + līberō / lībrō (“to weigh”)), from libera / libra (“a balance”); see librate. Doublet of deliber.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.