Meaning & use
deliberate act
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Meanings
phrasecountableformallegal
An action that someone does intentionally, after thinking about it, rather than by accident.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a deliberate act' or 'deliberate acts'.
Patterns
- a deliberate act of something
- commit a deliberate act
The court decided that the fire was a deliberate act, not an accident.
Destroying the documents was a deliberate act to hide the truth.
She apologized, saying it had not been a deliberate act.
phrasecountableformallegal
A formal way to describe a specific type of intentional behavior, often harmful or illegal.
Grammar: Often followed by 'of' plus a noun: a deliberate act of violence.
Patterns
- a deliberate act of violence
- a deliberate act of kindness
The attack was condemned as a deliberate act of aggression.
Giving up his seat was a deliberate act of kindness.
Word forms
| plural | deliberate acts |
|---|
Common combinations
- a deliberate act of violence
- The shooting was a deliberate act of violence.
- commit a deliberate act
- He committed a deliberate act of vandalism.
- a deliberate act of cruelty
- Leaving the dog outside was a deliberate act of cruelty.
- a deliberate act of kindness
- Paying for her meal was a deliberate act of kindness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intentional act
- Very similar, but 'intentional act' is more neutral and used in general contexts, while 'deliberate act' often suggests careful planning and is common in legal language.
- premeditated act
- Stronger: it means the act was planned in advance, especially a crime; 'deliberate act' only means it was done on purpose.
Opposites
Word family
- deliberately adverb
- In a deliberate way; on purpose.
- deliberation noun
- Careful thought or discussion before making a decision.
Commonly confused: deliberate act or deliberate (adjective)?
deliberate act vs deliberate (adjective)
The adjective 'deliberate' means done on purpose; the noun phrase 'deliberate act' uses that adjective. Don't confuse it with the verb 'deliberate' (to discuss carefully), which is pronounced differently.
Practice
The judge ruled that the damage was a deliberate act, meaning it was ______.
Choose one answer.
'Deliberate' means intentional, so 'done on purpose' is correct. 'Done without thinking' would describe an impulsive or accidental action, which is the opposite of deliberate.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deliberate act”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.