adjective, verb, -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.| 1. | carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional: a deliberate lie. |
| 2. | characterized by deliberation; careful or slow in deciding: a deliberate decision. |
| 3. | leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried: a deliberate step. |
| 4. | to weigh in the mind; consider: to deliberate a question. |
| 5. | to think carefully or attentively; reflect: She deliberated for a long time before giving her decision. |
| 6. | to consult or confer formally: The jury deliberated for three hours. |

de·lib·er·ate (dĭ-lĭb'ər-ĭt) adj.
v. intr.
To consider (a matter) carefully and often slowly, as by weighing alternatives. [Latin dēlīberātus, past participle of dēlīberāre, to consider, weigh : dē-, de- + lībrāre, to balance (from lībra, a balance, scales).] de·lib'er·ate·ly adv., de·lib'er·ate·ness n. |