deliberation

noun

de·​lib·​er·​a·​tion di-ˌli-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce deliberation (audio)
1
a
: the act of thinking about or discussing something and deciding carefully : the act of deliberating
After careful deliberation, he decided to study medicine rather than law.
b
: a discussion and consideration by a group of persons (such as a jury or legislature) of the reasons for and against a measure
The jury returned a verdict after a four-hour deliberation.
2
: the quality or state of being deliberate
spoke with clarity and deliberation
worked with deliberation on the painting
deliberative
di-ˈli-bə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce deliberation (audio)
-ˈli-b(ə-)rə-
adjective
deliberatively adverb
deliberativeness noun

Examples of deliberation in a Sentence

After hours of deliberation, the council came to a decision. Jury deliberations lasted two days. She spoke to the audience with clarity and deliberation.
Recent Examples on the Web During a special meeting Thursday evening, the board approved Jackson after three hours of deliberations. Mallory Wyatt/texarkana Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 15 Mar. 2024 The Council Court will then convene for deliberations, and eventually council members will cast their votes on whether to remove Piagentini, which would take a two-thirds vote. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2024 The verdict was announced during the second day of deliberations, after a two-week trial that has been followed closely in his home country. International Desk, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Synan also alleged in his suit that the mayor and village council have held secret deliberations over Kobasuk's desire to discipline the chief and force him out of office. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Wednesday’s verdict in Santa Fe came after about two hours of deliberation by the 12-person jury. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Jurors returned a verdict after less than three hours of deliberations on Wednesday afternoon, following two weeks of testimony about safety lapses on set. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 The deliberations are the result of a 2022 resolution passed in the U.N. General Assembly seeking the court’s intervention on the matter. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The board is drawing closer to announcing new members following the dramatic November overhaul of the company’s governance, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are private. Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deliberation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see deliberate entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of deliberation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near deliberation

Cite this Entry

“Deliberation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliberation. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deliberation

noun
de·​lib·​er·​a·​tion di-ˌlib-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce deliberation (audio)
1
: the act of deliberating
2
: a discussion and consideration of the reasons for and against something
3
: the quality of being deliberate : deliberateness

Legal Definition

deliberation

noun
de·​lib·​er·​a·​tion di-ˌli-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce deliberation (audio)
1
a
: the act of deliberating compare premeditation
b
: a discussion and consideration by a group of persons (as a jury or legislature) of the reasons for or against a measure
2
: the quality or state of being deliberate
killing with deliberation
deliberative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on deliberation

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