Deliberate

mediumNeutral tone

dih-LIB-er-it

adjective

Definition

Done consciously and intentionally; carefully considered

Memory hook

DE-LIBER-ATE: completely WEIGHING (librare) options before acting - intentional and carefully planned.

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Word roots

decompletely(Latin)
librareto weigh(Latin)

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Examples

The crime was a deliberate act, not an accident.
She made a deliberate choice to change careers.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The crime was a ______ act, not an accident.
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deliberate

Synonyms

intentionalpremeditatedcalculatedpurposeful

Antonyms

spontaneousinadvertentunintentionalimpulsive

Categories

View all Intentionality words

GRE Tip

Deliberate is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "intentional" or "premeditated" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "spontaneous".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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