Lewis & Short

dē-lībĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [de and libro, libra; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 74, 1 Müll.: deliberare a libella, qua quid perpenditur dictum], to weigh well in one’s mind, to consider maturely, deliberate respecting a thing; to take counsel, consult, advise upon (freq. and class.; for syn. cf. cogito, agito, volvo, reputo, perpendo, meditor, commentor, consulo).

  1. I. Prop.
    1. A. In gen.: re deliberata, post diem tertium ad Caesarem reversuros, Caes. B. G. 4, 9; so, re deliberata, id. B. C. 1, 10: delibera hoc, dum ego redeo, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 42: de summa rerum deliberare, Caes. B. C. 2, 30: de geographia etiam atque etiam, Cic. Att. 2, 7: de necanda filia, Suet. Aug. 65: de singulis articulis temporum, id. Claud. 4 al.: deliberare Velitne an non, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 58: utrum … an (with concoquere), Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 45: an recipiat, Quint. 7, 1, 24; cf.: quando incipiendum sit, id. 12, 6, 3: ego amplius deliberandum censeo, Ter. Ph. 2, 4, 17; so absol., Caes. B. G. 1, 7 fin.; Cic. Off. 1, 3, 9; Quint. 3, 8, 35 sq.; Vulg. 2 Reg. 21, 13 al.: cum aliquo de salute fortunisque alicujus, Cic. Att. 11, 3; Liv. 32, 34; cf.: cum judicibus quasi deliberamus, Quint. 9, 2, 21: cum cupiditate id est cum animi levissima parte deliberat, takes counsel of, Cic. Fin. 2, 34, 115: cum materia, Quint. 3, 7, 16: cum causis, id. 7, 10, 10: cum re praesenti, id. 9, 4, 117.
      Pass. impers.: deliberatur de Avarico in communi concilio, incendi placeret an defendi, Caes. B. G. 7, 15, 3: ut utri potissimum consulendum sit deliberetur, Cic. Inv. 2, 58, 174 al.
      Prov.: deliberando saepe perit occasio, Pub. Syr. 140 (Rib.): deliberandum est saepe, statuendum est semel, id. 132.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. (Like consulo, no. I. B. 1.) To consult an oracle (only in Nepos): ex his delecti Delphos deliberatum missi sunt … his consulentibus, etc., Nep. Milt. 1, 2: so with consulere, id. Them. 2, 6.
      2. 2. Pass. impers.: deliberari, to be maturely discussed, hence to be in doubt, usually with potest, non potest, etc.: ex eo deliberari poterit, ducenda necne alvus sit, Cels. 3, 13, § 12: neque maneatis aut abeatis deliberari potest, i. e. you must certainly go away, Liv. 7, 35, 8: M. Aemilius, qui pejor an ignavior sit, deliberari non potest, Sall. Hist. Fr. 1, 48, 3. Cf.: nemo deliberat, no one doubts, etc., Min. Fel. 35, 4.
  2. II. Meton. (causa pro effectu), to resolve, determine, after deliberation (rare in the verb. finit.; usually in the part. perf., with inf. or acc. and inf.): quod iste certe statuerat ac deliberaverat non adesse, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 1: (Cleopatra) deliberata morte ferocior, * Hor. Od. 1, 37, 29: certum ac deliberatum est me illis obsequi, Turpil. ap. Non. 282, 11, and 429, 21; so with certum, Cic. Rosc. Am. 11, 31: cum mihi deliberatum et constitutum sit ita gerere consulatum, etc., id. Agr. 1, 8, 25: sic habuisti statutum cum animo ac deliberatum, omnes judices reicere, id. Verr. 2, 3, 41: deliberatum est non tacere amplius, Afran. ap. Interpr. Verg. A. 10, 564.
    Hence, dēlībĕrātus, a, um, P. a., resolved upon, determined, certain (rare): neque illi quicquam deliberatius fuit quam me … evertere, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 8: instructius deliberatiusque, Gell. 1, 13, 9.