PREMEDITATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does premeditation mean? 

• PREMEDITATION (noun)
  The noun PREMEDITATION has 2 senses:

1. planning or plotting in advance of acting

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

  Familiarity information: PREMEDITATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PREMEDITATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Planning or plotting in advance of acting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

forethought; premeditation

Hypernyms ("premeditation" is a kind of...):

planning; preparation; provision (the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening)

Derivation:

premeditate (consider, ponder, or plan (an action) beforehand)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(law) thought and intention to commit a crime well in advance of the crime; goes to show criminal intent

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("premeditation" is a kind of...):

malice aforethought; mens rea ((law) criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal); often at issue in murder trials)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Derivation:

premeditate (consider, ponder, or plan (an action) beforehand)

 Context examples 

Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her entreaty that she would not give in to it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)