contemplate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
contemplates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contemplated,
past participle, past
-
contemplating
present participle
-
to look at or view with continued attention; observe or study thoughtfully.
to contemplate the stars.
-
to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about.
to contemplate a difficult problem.
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to have as a purpose; intend.
The District Attorney's office does not contemplate any charges.
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to have in view as a future event.
to contemplate buying a new car.
verb (used without object)
-
contemplates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contemplated,
past participle, past
-
contemplating
present participle
verb
-
to think about intently and at length; consider calmly
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(intr) to think intently and at length, esp for spiritual reasons; meditate
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to look at thoughtfully; observe pensively
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to have in mind as a possibility
to contemplate changing jobs
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contemplatesimple
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contemplatessimple
-
have contemplatedperfect
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has contemplatedperfect
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am contemplatingprogressive
-
are contemplatingprogressive
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is contemplatingprogressive
-
have been contemplatingperfect progressive
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has been contemplatingperfect progressive
Past
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contemplatedsimple
-
had contemplatedperfect
-
was contemplatingprogressive
-
were contemplatingprogressive
-
had been contemplatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contemplate
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin contemplātus, past participle of contemplāre, contemplārī “to survey, observe,” equivalent to con- “with, together” + templ(um) “space marked off for augural observation” + -ātus past participle suffix; see origin at con-, temple 1, -ate 1
Explanation
Before you accept a job offer, or a college's offer of admission, you should take time to contemplate the pros and cons of your decision. If you contemplate something, you think about it carefully. Contemplate is from Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari "to gaze attentively, observe," from the prefix com- "together" plus templum "temple." The original meaning of Latin contemplari was "to mark out a space for observing auguries or omens," and the temple was a holy space reserved for this purpose.
Vocabulary lists containing contemplate
Of Mice and Men
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List 5
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dahlia Lithwick: The decision in Slaughter will have knock-on effects that most people probably haven’t even begun to contemplate.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
A point, or three, against Brazil and nobody needs to contemplate such existential issues.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
The losses come as investors contemplate a coming IPO by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which is aiming to raise $75 billion in the biggest initial public offering ever.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
“The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard — that thought is a nightmare,” she said.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
We are quiet for a while after, content to contemplate the stars above us, to find music in the distant sounds that drift up from the forges.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Meanwhile, Sam Adams contemplates the film’s ending, arguing that Nolan’s final plot twist changes the meaning of the whole story.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Paul McCartney releases an album inspired by his youth in Liverpool, Marilyn Monroe gets a centenary-celebrating exhibition in Los Angeles, Brendan Fraser’s Dwight D. Eisenhower contemplates storming the beaches of Normandy, and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
The Welsh result is also likely to have an impact on the future of the prime minister as Labour contemplates a challenging set of local elections in England and the election to the Scottish Parliament.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
When asked if he sees himself as Ruben, Gadd contemplates the question, debating whether it’s his “jetlagged brain” or ambivalence about finding some of Ruben within him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
The elfin nun from Santo Domingo is crazy about saints, often identifying the holy ones long before the Vatican even contemplates their canonization.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
But after the Rams traded for two-time defensive player of the year Myles Garrett in June, Donald has contemplated rejoining a Rams team that is favored to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The couple anxiously contemplated the request before agreeing to lend Barnes £10,000, after he promised it would be repaid within a week.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Nike last week said its results would get a lift from tariff refunds that were “not contemplated in the company’s previously provided guidance.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Imagine, for a moment, if former Vice President Kamala Harris had jumped into the governor’s race, as contemplated.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
And he had not really contemplated going to the university before.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The Times spoke with the heads of four of these nonprofits, all who said they feel like they’re flying blind and are contemplating cuts to services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
As they celebrate America’s 250th birthday, they are also contemplating the relevance of their orientation to the nation’s conception of itself.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
This man, meanwhile, is contemplating waiting so that his wife will get a higher amount through survivor benefits in the event he dies before she does.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
OpenAI and Anthropic are contemplating a price war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Sykes stood up, extended a hand, looked him over as you look over a horse you are contemplating buying.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
