reflection

American  

[ri-flek-shuhn] / rɪˈflɛk ʃən /

especially British, reflexion

noun

• reflections
  plural

1. 

   the act of reflecting, as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image; the state of being reflected in this way.

2. an image; representation; counterpart.

3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.

   Synonyms:

   thinking, study, cogitation, deliberation, rumination, meditation

4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.

5. an unfavorable remark or observation.

   Synonyms:

   criticism, reproach, aspersion, imputation

6. the casting of some imputation or reproach.

7. Physics, Optics.

   1. the return of light, heat, sound, etc., after striking a surface.

   2. something so reflected, as heat or especially light.

8. Mathematics.

   1. (in a plane) the replacement of each point on one side of a line by the point symmetrically placed on the other side of the line.

   2. (in space) the replacement of each point on one side of a plane by the symmetric point on the other side of the plane.

9. Anatomy. the bending or folding back of a part upon itself.

---

reflection British  

/ rɪˈflɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected

2. something reflected or the image so produced, as by a mirror

3. careful or long consideration or thought

4. implicit or explicit attribution of discredit or blame

5. maths a transformation in which the direction of one axis is reversed or which changes the sign of one of the variables

6. anatomy the bending back of a structure or part upon itself

---

reflection Scientific  

/ rĭ-flĕk′shən /

1. The change in direction of a wave, such as a light or sound wave, away from a boundary the wave encounters. Reflected waves remain in their original medium rather than entering the medium they encounter.

2. ◆ According to the law of reflection, the angle of reflection of a reflected wave is equal to its angle of incidence.

3. Compare refraction See more at wave

4. Something, such as sound, light, or heat, that is reflected.

---

reflection Cultural  

1. A bouncing of light off a surface. People see themselves in mirrors through reflection. (Compare refraction.)

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interreflection
  noun
• nonreflection
  noun
• overreflection
  noun
• self-reflection
  noun
• superreflection
  noun
• reflectional
  adjective
• reflectionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reflections
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of reflection

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin reflexiōn-, stem of reflexiō “a bending back,” from Latin reflex(us) “bent back” (past participle of reflectere; see reflect) + -iō -ion

---

Explanation

Your reflection is what you see in the mirror. Other things that bounce back at you are also reflections — light waves, sound waves, even your thoughts. Reflection comes from the Latin reflectere, made up of the prefix re-, "back," and flectere, "to bend." So it's bending something back: your reflection in the mirror is the light waves that bounce your image back at you. When you pause for reflection — serious thinking, that is — your thoughts are bending inward. Reflection can also be a consequence of something: the way your dog mopes around when you're away is a reflection of how much he misses you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reflection reflections

Shares of Oracle have fallen 61% from their peak close in September 2025, a reflection of jitters over the company’s ability to generate appropriate returns on its AI investments and pay off its debt.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

"We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace," it added.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

ECB policymakers regularly cite economic data points that exclude Ireland as a reflection of the underlying state of the eurozone’s economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026

Clara forced herself to look away from her reflection.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Americans and Israelis are conjoined by history, for better or worse, and now see each other as distorted reflections, through a glass darkly, as the King James Bible puts it.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

The royals will also join survivors, bereaved parents and other members of the community to mark the anniversary, who will share their personal reflections.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Their collections are more than garments and pieces of fabric; they are reflections of the people who seek them out, restore them and make them their own.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The experiences and reflections vary by schools and within schools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

There were no angles; walls, floors, and ceiling faded gently into each other and in the cold, metallic glittering of the hidden lights, one was surrounded by six chilly reflections of one’s bewildered self.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• consideration
• contemplation
• idea
• impression
• meditation
• observation
• opinion
• rumination
• view

---