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.
-
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
-
(intr) to think intently and at length, esp for spiritual reasons; meditate
-
to look at thoughtfully; observe pensively
-
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
-
contemplatessimple
-
have contemplatedperfect
-
has contemplatedperfect
-
am contemplatingprogressive
-
are contemplatingprogressive
-
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:
More likely, relative oblivion will remain his lot, as his wife once forced him to contemplate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Now at a "different stage of life", he cannot even contemplate playing football with friends for fun because it would trigger his competitive instincts.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
They now need to contemplate exactly how far the Fed will go to get inflation back under control, as well as what a longer Fed hiking cycle might mean for markets and the economy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
For the owners to even contemplate repeating that experience, especially given the heightened competition in the modern world for sports fans’ attention and viewers’ eyeballs, can bespeak only insanity or stupidity, or probably both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
It no longer wanted to know about things of the past or future; it was content simply to contemplate the desert, and to drink with the boy from the Soul of the World.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
The series contemplates topics like shady lending practices by financial institutions — something that will resonate deeply with today’s economy — and the ethics of placing oneself in a news story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
As the seventh generation of his family to fish for eels on Lough Neagh, he gets emotional when he contemplates the future.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
The president is known to monitor the stock market and the state of the economy regularly while he contemplates policy decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
Bando joins me, folding his rod as he contemplates the dead tree and the leaf-strewn ground.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
But successful designs have become more seriously contemplated only in recent years as electric motors and high-performance batteries have advanced.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
When asked what would motivate her to get out and vote this November, she contemplated what to say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
They asked their supervisors to approve a new investigation and contemplated using undercover operatives to gather more evidence.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Mr. Rebeiro, to his credit, concedes that the historical evidence strongly indicates that fugitive slaves were contemplated by the clause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
I contemplated calling his house, but his parents were friends with my parents, so that wouldn’t work.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
As it came to fruition, he sought to answer two main questions when contemplating which works of his collection to share with the public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
And right now, the 2-year Treasury is pricing in the risk of a more-aggressive series of rate increases than what the Fed itself is currently contemplating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
While he said talks would resume this week, that was unable to lift the gloom on trading floors, with traders contemplating further rises in inflation that will force the Fed to tighten monetary policy more.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Meanwhile, the official story was considerably harder for an ordinary person contemplating lunch to follow.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Julian nodded soberly, as though contemplating what dreadful fate the queen might devise if she were truly displeased.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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