Synonyms for deliberate
- adjective
- verb
Most common
intentional purposeful conscious premeditated careful slow unhurried
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Intentional — done on purpose; intentional
intentional, purposeful, conscious, premeditated, willful US, wilful UK, voluntary, intended, purposive, volitional, purposed, studied, witting, advertent
2. Careful — formed with deliberation; carefully considered; not sudden or rash
careful, slow, considerate, cautious, circumspect, mindful, prudent, canny, wary, tentative, discreet, leisurely, safe, moderate, well-advised, cool, guarded, shy, heedful, judicious, scrupulous, attentive
3. Unhurried
Other
thoughtful, aforethought, cold-blooded, knowing, prepense dated
Verb
1. Consider
consider, think, reflect, debate, ponder, cogitate, muse, study, turn over, talk, ruminate, discuss, meditate, agitate, consult, moot, weigh, confer, contemplate, mull, canvass, mull over
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Done on purpose; intentional.
a deliberate attempt to cover up his crime
- adj. 2
Formed with deliberation; carefully considered; not sudden or rash.
a deliberate opinion; a deliberate measure or result
- adj. 3
Of a person, weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; slow in determining.
The jury took eight hours to come to its deliberate verdict.
- v. 1
To consider carefully; to weigh well in the mind.
It is now time for the jury to deliberate the guilt of the defendant.
Related words
Forms
- Past participle
- deliberated
e.g. deliberated → considered, reflected, debated, pondered…
Choose the right word
Deliberate, which can be applied to a single individual, is also the word for a great number, while consult is ordinarily limited to a few; a committee consults; an assembly deliberates. Debate implies opposing views; deliberate, simply a gathering and balancing of all facts and reasons.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- conscious I was not conscious what in fact I was doing then.
- intentional Tom suggested that what Mary did was intentional.
- purposeful Tom went about his job with a purposeful intent.
- premeditated Yanni was found guilty of premeditated murder.
- slow He who is slow to promise is best in keeping them.
- careful You should be careful in crossing the busy street.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| deliberate | steady | |
| conscious | rising | |
| intentional | rising | |
| purposeful | rising | |
| premeditated | rising | |
| slow | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- shy1
- 4 letters
- talk1, cool1, safe1, slow1, wary2, muse1, moot1, mull1
- 5 letters
- think1, study2, weigh1, canny2
- 6 letters
- debate2, ponder2, confer2, wilful
- 7 letters
- knowing2, discuss2, careful2, studied2, reflect2, consult2, guarded2, mindful2, prudent2, willful2, canvass2, agitate3, witting2, heedful
- 8 letters
- consider3, intended3, moderate3, measured2, cautious2, hesitate3, discreet2, meditate3, purposed, ruminate3, cogitate3, prepense
- 9 letters
- conscious2, voluntary4, tentative3, attentive3, leisurely3, judicious3, unhurried3, purposive, advertent
- 10 letters
- calculated4, thoughtful2, purposeful3, scrupulous3, volitional
- 11 letters
- intentional4, contemplate3, considerate4, circumspect3
- 12 letters
- premeditated5, aforethought3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (wary2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- délibéré
- Italiano
- deliberato
- Español
- deliberado