Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Deliberate has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
think about carefully; weigh
"They considered the possibility of a strike"
"Turn the proposal over in your mind"
discuss the pros and cons of an issue
"The committee spent hours deliberately discussing the pros and cons of the new policy before making a decision."
To consider carefully; to weigh well in the mind.
"Before making a final decision, she deliberately considered all the pros and cons of each option."
In plain English: To deliberately do something means to choose to act on purpose instead of by accident.
"They deliberately ignored his warning signs to avoid any trouble."
carefully thought out in advance
"a calculated insult"
"with measured irony"
"he made a deliberate decision not to respond negatively"
unhurried and with care and dignity
"walking at the same measured pace"
"with all deliberate speed"
characterized by conscious design or purpose
"intentional damage"
"a knowing act of fraud"
"a deliberate attempt to provoke a response"
Done on purpose; intentional.
"The thief's deliberate attempt to unlock the safe showed he had planned the burglary in advance."
In plain English: Deliberate means done on purpose rather than by accident.
"The thief made a deliberate attempt to break into the house at night."
Usage: Use deliberate as an adjective before a noun or after a linking verb, but avoid confusing it with the adverb deliberately. Do not use deliberate to mean "careful" in contexts where precision is required without intent; instead, choose meticulous or cautious.
The word "deliberate" entered English in the Middle Ages, borrowed directly from Latin where it originally meant "having been considered or weighed well." Its root comes from a term for weighing on scales, reflecting its initial sense of careful thought before evolving to describe actions done intentionally.