premeditation
Thinking before acting
Premeditation is planning or thinking about something before doing it, especially a crime.
In law, premeditation distinguishes murder from manslaughter—killing with prior intent carries heavier penalties than killing in the heat of passion.
The prosecution argued that buying the gun showed premeditation.
The word implies deliberate calculation rather than spontaneous action.
Planning before acting
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- preparationArranging things in advance
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
scheming · plotting · calculation · consideration · design · arrangement · orchestration · coordination
Intent to cause harm
- aforethoughtPrior deliberate intention
- intentPlanned purpose
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
felony · manslaughter · culpable · conspiracy · guilt · deliberation · criminal · mens rea
Consciously chosen, not accidental
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
- systematicFollowing ordered procedures
- purposefulDone with intention
- intentionalDone on purpose
preconceived · predetermined · conscious · studied · meticulous · thought-out · reasoned · measured
Methods to achieve goals
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- chessStrategic board game
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- approachWay of handling something
methodology · planning · warfare · campaign · long game · positioning · countermoves · gambit
forethought
Planning before acting
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- preparationArranging things in advance
- anticipationState of awaiting something
foresight · scheming · plotting · calculation · consideration · design · arrangement · orchestration · coordination · groundwork
malice
Intent to cause harm
- aforethoughtPrior deliberate intention
- intentPlanned purpose
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
homicide · felony · manslaughter · culpable · conspiracy · guilt · deliberation · criminal · mens rea · first-degree
deliberate
Consciously chosen, not accidental
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
- systematicFollowing ordered procedures
- purposefulDone with intention
intentional · preconceived · predetermined · conscious · studied · meticulous · thought-out · reasoned · measured · careful
tactics
Methods to achieve goals
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- chessStrategic board game
- schemingCrafty and calculating
approach · methodology · planning · warfare · campaign · long game · positioning · countermoves · gambit · outmaneuvering
- crimerobbery, accomplice, alibi, burglary, conspiracy
- hidden motivesulterior motive, hidden agenda, secret plan, scheming, plotting
- motivesintent, motive, intention, purpose, goal
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
- arsonarson, arsonist, arson investigator, arson investigation, attempted arson
- criminal psychologycriminal mind, motive, intent, psychopath, sociopath
premeditationspontaneity
Acting without forethought
impulsiveness · impulse · impulsivity · snap decision · recklessness
premeditationafterthought
Idea added belatedly
hindsight · retrospection · second-guessing · postmortem · reflection