premeditation

noun

pre·​med·​i·​ta·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən 

: an act or instance of premeditating

specifically : consideration or planning of an act beforehand that shows intent to commit that act

Examples of premeditation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brianna doesn’t like to make plans, shrinks from premeditation. —Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

During his press conference this week, Hochman discussed the premeditation of the brothers’ killing of their parents. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025

The motion also lays out evidence of premeditation and the brothers' attempts to cover their tracks. —arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025

Mental conditions can be considered in a defendant's ability to form premeditation, which must be proven to convict a defendant of first-degree murder. —Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for premeditation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Legal Definition

premeditation

noun

pre·​med·​i·​ta·​tion pri-ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən 

: an act or instance of premeditating

specifically : consideration or planning of an act beforehand

designed so that it requires premeditation to tamper with it

murder in the first degree is the killing of a human being committed…intentionally and with premeditation

—Kansas Statutes Annotated

see also cold blood, murder compare intent

Note: The terms premeditation, malice aforethought, deliberate, and willful are often used in statutes either along with or instead of intent to describe the necessary mental state for a crime. In some jurisdictions the premeditation has to occur only moments before the act, while in others it must precede the act by an appreciable amount of time.