contemplation

American  

[kon-tuhm-play-shuhn, -tem-] / ˌkɒn təmˈpleɪ ʃən, -tɛm- /

noun

• contemplations
  plural

1. the act of contemplating; thoughtful observation.

2. full or deep consideration; reflection.

   religious contemplation.

3. purpose or intention.

4. prospect or expectation.

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contemplation British  

/ ˌkɒntɛmˈpleɪʃən, -təm- /

noun

1. thoughtful or long consideration or observation

2. spiritual meditation esp (in Christian religious practice) concentration of the mind and soul upon God Compare meditation

3. purpose or intention

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• precontemplation
  noun
• recontemplation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contemplations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of contemplation

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin contemplātiōn-, stem of contemplātiō; equivalent to contemplate + -ion; replacing Middle English contemplaci(o)un, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

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Explanation

Contemplation is long, hard thinking about something. If you’re writing a book on the meaning of the universe, then you’re going to need to do a great deal of contemplation. Contemplate has the word temple in its roots, and originally referred to the kind of thinking you do in a special space set aside for observation. Now we use it to describe any kind of thinking that we spend a long time doing. While clicking on someone’s photos on Facebook doesn’t count as contemplation, usually, you might spend hours in contemplation of your family and your history if you come across a box of old photos in the attic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contemplation contemplations

The room is described as a "calm, cosy place for contemplation" by the independent charity which looks after six royal sites and palaces.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

He typically records alone—This Is Lorelei is his solo project—and a feeling of solitary contemplation permeates his music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Based on real events, “Sherwood” is both a murder mystery and a contemplation of the damage done by class-based strife and longheld grudges, often based on misinformation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

Tickets must be purchased online for specific time slots, the number of simultaneous visitors is capped at 1,500 and a daily morning “quiet hour” was recently introduced to facilitate prayer and contemplation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

It was possible that the contemplation of a crooked finger, the unbearable idea of other minds and the superiority of stories over plays were thoughts she had had on other days.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

First, pessimism is the natural state for any contemplations of peace in the Middle East.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2025

Visitors to the Hsi Lai Temple dining hall are encouraged to participate in five meal contemplations:

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

Although it taps into the same aimlessness that fuels the other tracks on “Nacarile,” iLe considers it one of the more “hopeful” contemplations.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2023

Some have lots of blood and some are deep contemplations of the future of humanity — and some have both.

From The Verge ● May 20, 2022

Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us—there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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Related Words

• meditation
• reflection
• reverie

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