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deliberate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deliberate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of deliberate are intentional, voluntary, and willing. While all these words mean "done or brought about of one's own will," deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

When is intentional a more appropriate choice than deliberate?

The meanings of intentional and deliberate largely overlap; however, intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

When is it sensible to use voluntary instead of deliberate?

In some situations, the words voluntary and deliberate are roughly equivalent. However, voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

Where would willing be a reasonable alternative to deliberate?

While the synonyms willing and deliberate are close in meaning, willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deliberate
Adjective
For Blackwood, marrying Freud was a deliberate provocation, a defection from her mother’s milieu. Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024 Cal Fire estimates that 95% of wildfires are caused by humans, including from carelessness, deliberate ignitions and infrastructure failures. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
While a Manhattan jury deliberated whether Daniel Penny is guilty of killing his son, Jordan Neely’s father on Thursday sued Penny in civil court for the fatal chokehold on a Manhattan subway car. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024 The jury has begun deliberating in the subway chokehold death trial of Daniel Penny. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deliberate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deliberate
Adjective
  • There’s something to be said about working that way, but the difference for Agents is that the songs were, in turn, more considered and fleshed out by the time they were brought to the band, even if those songs demanded more work afterward.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The early part of Wang’s new movie mirrors the intimacy on display in Apolonia, Apolonia, Lea Glob’s considered portrait of an artist.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Soft Goat Cashmere Soft Goat delivers on both conscious and affordable investment pieces with a plush feel.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2024
  • She executive produces through her Simpson Street banner, which is devoted to bringing socially conscious, inclusive stories of marginalized voices and communities to all audiences through film and TV.
    Kerry Washington, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Rivalries and mutual suspicion mounted over the years and came to a head when Ghosn openly contemplated a merger, contributing to his downfall.
    Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
  • In the summer after their first year studying architecture at the University of Hong Kong, Jeff Li and Joseph Wong were contemplating hats and climate change.
    Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • His shocking testimony laid bare the extent of his calculated and prolonged betrayal.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
  • But the retreat was a calculated one, according to the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies.
    David Axe, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Previously, under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the government attempted to agree a voluntary AI copyright code of practice.
    Ryan Browne, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
  • The voluntary recall was announced on Friday, December 13—10 days after VidaSlim's products were added to an FDA warning about toxic yellow oleander.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Nationwide confusion over which Ron Johnson got the job Once Trump announced his pick of Johnson as the incoming U.S. ambassador to Mexico, social media lit up with politicians and citizens alike that pondered which Ron Johnson received the role.
    Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
  • After interviewing for the Atlanta Falcons and the job subsequently going to Raheem Morris, Belichick has dabbled in the media business while pondering his next steps on the sidelines.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Under New York state law, second-degree murder is a charge of intentional murder, said Anna G. Cominsky, a professor at the New York Law School and director of its criminal defense clinic.
    Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Without having these intentional touches, your look will almost always leave something to be desired.
    Andrea Bossi, Essence, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Offering an opinion on social media and debating with strangers is just so much easier! Follow me on Twitter.
    Peter Suciu, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Humans are social creatures and rely on each other for survival, but some scholars have debated whether humans are genuinely altruistic or have other motivations, such as the need to feel good about themselves.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near deliberate

Cite this Entry

“Deliberate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deliberate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on deliberate

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