premeditated
UK[ˌpriːˈmɛdɪteɪtɪd]US[priˈmɛdɪteɪtɪd]
adj
(of an action, especially a crime) thought out or planned beforehand.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
meditat
ed
pre
before
meditat
think/consider
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'premeditated' is built upon the Latin verb meditari, which means "to think deeply or reflect". The prefix pre-, meaning "before", was added to this root to create the sense of considering or planning something in advance. The suffix -ed was then appended to form an adjective describing an action carried out in such a forethought state. Thus, the literal meaning "thought about before" evolved into the modern legal and general sense of an action, particularly a wrongful one, that was deliberately planned ahead of time.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + meditat (think/consider) + ed (adjective suffix)
- pre: Latin origin, meaning "before". A prefix indicating prior time or order.
- meditat: From Latin meditatus, the past participle stem of meditari, meaning "to think over, consider, reflect upon".
- ed: A suffix of Old English origin, used to form adjectives from past participles of verbs, indicating a state or condition.
Examples
The prosecution argued that the murder was a premeditated act of revenge.
Her apology seemed sincere and not at all premeditated.
Committing a premeditated crime often leads to a more severe sentence.