1. (n.) The act of deliberating, or of weighing and examining the reasons for and against a choice or measure; careful consideration; mature reflection.
2. (n.) Careful discussion and examination of the reasons for and against a measure; as, the deliberations of a legislative body or council.
Thesaurus Entries
advisement, aforethought, airing, analysis, application, brainwork, brooding, buzz session, calculatedness, calculation, canniness, canvassing, care, careful consideration, carefulness, caution, cautiousness, cerebration, circumspection, cloture, cogitation, colloquium, committee consideration, concentration, confabulation, conference, consideration, contemplation, counsel, creeping, debate, debating, deliberate stages, deliberateness, dialectic, dialogue, discretion, discussion, division, dolce far niente, drawl, examination, exchange of views, express intention, expressness, filibuster, filibustering, filing, first reading, foot-dragging, forethought, forum, gingerliness, guardedness, hastelessness, hedge, hedging, heed, heedfulness, hesitation, idleness, inactivity, indolence, inertia, inertness, intentionality, introduction, investigation, joint discussion, judiciousness, languor, laziness, leisureliness, lentitude, lentor, logical analysis, logical discussion, logrolling, lucubration, meditation, mindfulness, musing, open discussion, open forum, panel discussion, pawkiness, pokiness, pondering, preconsideration, predeliberation, predetermination, premeditation, preresolution, prior consultation, prudence, prudentialness, rap, rap session, reflection, regardfulness, relaxedness, reluctance, review, revolving, roll call, rumination, safeness, safety first, second reading, seminar, slackness, sloth, slowness, slowness to act, sluggardy, sluggishness, solicitude, speculation, steamroller methods, study, symposium, tabling, talkathon, tentativeness, third reading, thoroughness, town meeting, treatment, uncommunicativeness, unhastiness, unhurriedness, unprecipitateness, ventilation, vote, weighing
