B2adverb2K

Deliberately

UK /["/dɪˈlɪbərətli/"]/US /["/dɪˈlɪbərətli/"]/

Definition

done in a way that was planned, not by chance

In simple words: On purpose or intentionally.

Examples

She's been deliberately ignoring him all day.
an ad campaign that **deliberately targets** children
She was accused of **deliberately misleading** Parliament.
to deliberately withhold/conceal information
The fire had been **started deliberately**.
Her tone was deliberately insulting.
I suspected that he was being deliberately ambiguous.
She described how he quite deliberately tried to entice the two children away.
He deliberately chose to cast unknown actors.
He packed up his possessions slowly and deliberately.

Usage notes

Use 'deliberately' when someone does something with intention; avoid in casual conversations where simpler terms like 'on purpose' might fit better.

Grammar pattern

deliberately + verb

Memory hint

Think of 'deliberately' as 'deliberate-ly' – like you decided to do something carefully.

Collocations

deliberately ignore
deliberately choose
deliberately deceive

Synonyms

intentionally
purposely
consciously
willfully
knowingly

Antonyms

accidentally
unintentionally

Common mistakes

Using 'deliberately' in a situation where 'accidentally' is needed.
Confusing 'deliberately' with 'deliberate' as a noun.
Saying 'deliberately' too often in informal speech.