# deliberate

Pronunciation: say "di-LIB-uh-rit" /dɪˈlɪbəɹət/

## Adjective

1. Done on purpose and with intent, rather than happening by accident or chance.
   - Simple: Done on purpose, not by accident.
   - _The committee made a deliberate choice to delay the announcement._
   - _Investigators concluded that the fire was deliberate rather than accidental._
4. Carefully considered and formed with thought, not sudden or rash.
   - Simple: Carefully thought out, not done in a rush.
   - _The strategy was deliberate, the product of months of careful planning._
   - _Her response was measured and deliberate, free of any rash impulse._
5. Of a person, carefully weighing facts and likely consequences before choosing, and slow to decide.
   - Simple: Careful and slow to decide, weighing all the facts first.
   - _A deliberate negotiator, she weighed every term before signing._
   - _He was too deliberate to be rushed into a quick verdict._
6. Unhurried and steady in pace; not sudden or hasty.
   - Simple: Slow and steady, not hurried or sudden.
   - _The surgeon's movements were slow and deliberate throughout the operation._
   - _He turned the key with deliberate care, listening for the click._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "di-LIB-uh-rayt" /dɪˈlɪbəɹeɪt/

2. To consider something carefully, weighing the matter well in the mind before reaching a decision.
   - Simple: To think carefully about something before you decide.
   - _The board deliberated the merger for several weeks before approving it._
   - _Lawmakers must deliberate each proposal before bringing it to a vote._
3. To weigh the reasons for and against a matter; to reflect before deciding.
   - Simple: To think about the reasons for and against something.
   - _The committee deliberated at length before reaching consensus._
   - _Jurors must deliberate carefully before they can return a verdict._

## Origin

English inherited this from Middle English deliberat(e), which was borrowed from Latin dēlīberātus, the perfect passive participle of dēlīberō ('to consider, weigh well'). The root goes back to a word meaning 'to weigh,' from a word for 'a balance.'

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/deliberate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).