Aforethought Meaning in English
word
Definition
Aforethought means planned or considered in advance, especially before committing an act, often used in legal contexts to describe actions done intentionally and not by accident.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly formal and legal; often appears in phrases like 'malice aforethought' to describe crimes done with intention. Rare in everyday conversation; replaced by simpler words like 'premeditated' outside legal contexts.
Example Sentences
The jury decided the crime was committed with aforethought.
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He acted with aforethought when planning the surprise party.
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The lawyer argued there was no aforethought in his actions.
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It wasn’t just an accident; there was clear aforethought involved.
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You can tell by the way it was done that it was with aforethought.
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‘Malice aforethought’ is a crucial term in murder trials.
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