- present participle of contemplate.
contemplating
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contemplating
First recorded in 1580–90; contemplat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective; contemplat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun
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.
Contemplating events, the beasts summarize what they’ve learned with such bromides as “To work hard for our friends . . . that is freedom” and “You know what’s always right? Helping each other.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Contemplating escaping Rome, she talks of buying an island; Marcello chides her: “Your problem is you have too much money.”
From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024
Contemplating the meaning of the song, Hamessley posed a question: “Is this always about somebody yearning for a man not to leave, or is it a broader idea of loss?”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Contemplating policies, questioning sources and second-guessing ourselves requires a slower, more effortful form of human intelligence.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024
Contemplating the grand tour of Lawrence and Alvarez and the resurgent electioneering of Teller for the Super, Oppenheimer aired his doubts to Conant in a letter affectionately addressed to “Uncle Jim.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
