Thinking about and planning something carefully before doing it, especially used in law to describe planning a crime in advance.
From Latin 'premeditari'—'pre' (before) plus 'meditari' (to think about). The term became important in legal contexts during the Middle Ages when criminal intent became a key factor in sentencing.
Courts distinguish between crimes committed 'with premeditation' and 'in the heat of passion' because the law punishes planned violence more harshly—showing that history recognized the difference between impulsive and calculated harm!
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