premeditation

/pri:,medi'teiʃn/

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Word: Premeditation

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Premeditation means thinking about and planning a crime before actually doing it. It shows that a person intended to commit the crime in advance, rather than doing it suddenly or by accident.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "premeditation" when discussing crimes that involve careful planning.
• It is often used in legal contexts to describe the thought process behind a crime, especially serious ones like murder.

Example Sentence:

• "The jury found that there was clear evidence of premeditation in the murder case, as the suspect had bought a weapon days before the crime."

Advanced Usage:

• In legal terms, a crime that involves premeditation is often classified as a more serious offense, such as "first-degree murder," because it shows intent and planning.

Word Variants:

• Premeditated (adjective): Describing an action that was planned in advance.

  • Example: "The premeditated attack shocked the community."

• Premeditate (verb): To think about and plan something in advance.

  • Example: "He did not premeditate his actions; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Different Meaning:

• Outside of a legal context, "premeditation" can sometimes refer to any careful planning or consideration before taking action, not just in relation to crimes.

Synonyms:

• Planning
• Forethought
• Deliberation
• Intent

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• While there may not be specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "premeditation," phrases like "to plot something out" or "to think ahead" can convey a similar idea of planning.

Summary:

Premeditation is about planning a crime beforehand, showing that there was clear intent involved. It is an important concept in legal discussions and helps to distinguish between different levels of criminal activity.

Academic

Noun

1. (law) thought and intention to commit a crime well in advance of the crime; goes to show criminal intent
2. planning or plotting in advance of acting

Synonyms

• forethought