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
-
contemplatesimple
-
contemplatessimple
-
have contemplatedperfect
-
has contemplatedperfect
-
am contemplatingprogressive
-
are contemplatingprogressive
-
is contemplatingprogressive
-
have been contemplatingperfect progressive
-
has been contemplatingperfect progressive
Past
-
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:
Conversely, with an album, you take it home, “keep it for 20 years and contemplate its tracks,” says Cohn.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
The result gives Bank of Korea policymakers another dataset to contemplate ahead of this month’s meeting, as they weigh further tightening to counter inflation fanned by the Middle East conflict and AI-fueled demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Fans of the iconic figure, who died last December at the age of 91, have been coming en masse to contemplate the nearly 300 lots on display at the Drouot sale rooms in central Paris.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 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
Perhaps I was denying this prospect because it was too unpleasant to contemplate.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
That reflects spending on the mill expansion at the Meekatharra/Cue hubs offsetting the deferral of Higginsville capital as the company contemplates a 4 million tons/year expansion using ore from the Fletcher deposit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 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 resolution asks teachers to “encourage the use of paper and pen assignments” and also contemplates banning student access to YouTube as well as the gaming platforms Roblox and “Fortnite.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
Albert stands at the snack counter in his swim trunks, with his little towel draped over his wide back, and contemplates his selection of ice cream.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Alito had openly contemplated retiring, while Thomas had stoutly resisted the idea.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
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
They asked their supervisors to approve a new investigation and contemplated using undercover operatives to gather more evidence.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Hernández, who entered this series with a .668 OPS against right-handed pitchers, had been struggling for so long that Roberts contemplated a left-field platoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
She contemplated a few pulpy grains of crushed root clinging to her fingertips and resisted—for the twentieth time—the temptation to see what they tasted like.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
He rarely shares what he’s thinking, although there’s one lovely image of him gazing at the sun through his woven hand, perhaps quietly contemplating his own existence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
An emotional Mark Allen said retiring from snooker is "something I have been contemplating for a while" following his first-round loss to Jordan Brown in the Northern Ireland Open.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Rodrigues said he would consider running for president one day, but that there was little point in contemplating a post-Lula future before that moment actually arrived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 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
At four, Sasha was reading independently, but had also begun contemplating the shapes of letters.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
