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premeditated

/priˈmɛdɪteɪɾɪd/

/priˈmɛdɪteɪtɪd/

IPA guide

Other forms: premeditatedly

Something premeditated is planned in advanced and has a purpose behind it. In other words, it's no accident. A premeditated crime involves careful planning and research before it happens.

Premeditated comes from a combination of two Latin words: pre, meaning "before," and meditat, meaning “to ponder.” If you ponder — or think about — something before you act, that makes it premeditated. If you watch a lot of TV crime dramas, you may be familiar with the term "premeditated murder." This means that the murderer didn't just lose his temper and kill someone in the moment — instead, he went after a specific person on purpose.

Definitions of premeditated
  1. adjective
    characterized by deliberate purpose and some degree of planning
    “a premeditated crime”
    synonyms:
    intended
    resulting from one's intentions
    planned
    designed or carried out according to a plan
    aforethought, planned, plotted
    planned in advance
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    unpremeditated
    not premeditated
    unplanned
    without apparent forethought or prompting or planning
    impulsive
    without forethought
    show more antonyms...
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