aforethought









aforethought


adjective

  1. thought of previously; premeditated (usually used predicatively): with malice aforethought.

noun

  1. premeditation; forethought.

adjective

  1. (immediately postpositive) premeditated (esp in the phrase malice aforethought)
adj.

1580s, from afore + past tense of think. Apparently an English loan-translation of Old French legalese word prepense (see prepense) in malice prepense “malice aforethought” (Coke).

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