ppl. a. and sb. [f. AFORE adv. + thought: see THINK. Apparently introduced as an English translation of the old Law-Fr. prepense in malice prepense.]

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  A.  ppl. adj. Thought before; entertained in the mind beforehand, premeditated.

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1581.  Lambarde, Eiren., II. vii. (1588), 241. If two (of malice forethought) lie in await the one to kill the other.

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1628.  Coke, 3 Inst., 47. With malice aforethought.

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1825.  Cobbett, Rural Rides, 488. To make an act murder there must be malice afore thought.

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1840.  Carlyle, Heroes (1858), 204. Sheer falsehood, idle fables, allegory aforethought.

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1874.  L. Tollemache, in Fortn. Rev., Feb., 231. The inveterate habit of ending stories badly, with pessimism aforethought.

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  B.  sb. rare. Thinking beforehand, premeditation.

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1851.  Sir J. Herschel, Nat. Phil., I. iii. 55. Deliberately, of afore-thought, to devise remedies.

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