LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“deliberate” in Latin

The English word deliberate itself goes back to Latin līberō, through dēlīberātus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

deliberate v.
deliberare (to weigh, as it were, in a balance; about or on a subject, de aliqua re; also with utrum - an; with anybody, cum aliquo; also used absolutely): expendere; perpendgre; pensitare: ponderare; examinare (to examine and weigh the reasons for and against anything): considerare, especially with cum animo, or in animo, or secum (to take anything into consideration, in order to make one’s choice, or come to a decision): reputare (to calculate in the mind what will be the probable result of anything, especially with secum, animo, or cum animo): agitare mente, or animo, or in mente, or cum animo (to sift anything in one’s mind; to think it over repeatedly): volutare, in one’s mind, secum animo, in animo: or with anybody, cum aliquo; with one’s friends, cum amicis volutare: volvere animo or secum; versare secum in animo (to turn every way in one’s mind: this expression never occurs in Cic., but frequently in Livy, and Sall.): maturely, multa secum reputare de re; etiam atque etiam reputare, quid, etc.; videre etiam atque etiam et considerare, quid, etc. (e.g., what is to be done, quid agendum); most carefully and maturely, omnia diligenter circumspicere; omnia ratione animoque lustrare; secum in animo versare unamquamque rem: after I had maturely deliberated, and weighed every particular, circumspectis rebus omnibus rationibusque subductis; the reasons on both sides, omnes in utraque parte calculos ponere: to deliberate upon or examine anything most accurately, exactissimo judicio examinare aliquid.
To deliberate or take counsel with others, deliberare or consultare cum aliquo; aliquem adhibere in consilium, or ad deliberationes: to meet in order to deliberate, in deliberationem, or in consultationem venire: in order to deliberate, consiliandi causa: it is a thing upon which one must deliberate, consilii res est; res in deliberationem cadit.
deliberate
deliberatus (adopted as a fixed purpose, after deliberation; e.g., mors, Hor., poetically in this sense): consideratus (maturely weighed; e.g., judicium mentis, Cic., ; also IMPROP., of persons who act with deliberation): (The words are found in this connection and order.) (of things) consideratus ac provisus (e.g., via vivendi, Cic.); consideratus ac diligens (e.g., excogitatio faciendi aliquid): circumspectus (e.g., judicium; moderatio animi; perhaps not pre-Augustan, Freund; also, IMPROP., of persons): meditatus or meditatus et praeparatus (e.g., ea [ = those injuries] quae meditata et praeparata inferuntur, Cic., Off., 1, 8, 27): cogitatus (e.g., facinus). (The words are found in this connection and order.) meditatus et cogitatus (e.g., a crime, scelus, Cic.): or diu consideratus et multo ante meditatus (Cic.): It is my deliberate resolution, certum ac deliberatum est; deliberatum et constitutum est; habeo statutum cum animo ac deliberatum (with infinitive; all Cic.): he had no more deliberate purpose, than, etc., neque illi quicquam deliberatius fuit, quam, etc.: to take anything into more deliberate consideration, consideratius consulere alicui rei (Cic.): a deliberate opinion (= decision of the mind) or resolution, consideratum judicium mentis (Cic.): a deliberate resolve (of a moral nature), quaedam inductio animi ac voluntas (Cic., ad Quint., Fr., 1, 11): not by any deliberate and wise choice, but by a sudden impulse, non delectu aliquo aut sapientia, sed impetu et quadam temeritate (e.g., duci, Cic.). ☞ “Deliberate” may often be translated by (“deliberately”) prudens sciensque or sciens only; e.g., to utter a deliberate calumny, calumniari sciens.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for deliberate?
The usual Latin words for “deliberate” are dēlīberō, expendō, pēnsitō; also ponderō, exāminō, cōnsīderō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.