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Definition of premeditate

premeditate

/priːˈmɛd.ɪ.teɪt/
pre · med · i · tate
Adjective:premeditated
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Past Simple:premeditated
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Past Participle:premeditated
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Present Participle:premeditating
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premeditate Lexical Profile

premeditate Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To think out, plan, or plot an action beforehand, especially a crime or harmful act.

Example

"The prosecution presented digital records to prove that the defendant had time to premeditate the fraud."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for premeditate

Word Nuance & Usage

While 'premeditate' can theoretically describe planning any action in advance, in modern usage it is almost exclusively restricted to legal and criminological contexts involving deliberate offenses, most frequently in the participial form 'premeditated'.

• Rhymes for premeditate

• Nearby Words

premeal
premed
premedical
premeditate
premeditated
premeditation
premenopausal

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the mid-16th century from Latin 'praemeditatus', the past participle of 'praemeditari' ('to think over beforehand'), formed from 'prae-' ('before') and 'meditari' ('to ponder or reflect').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Premeditate. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/premeditate
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