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.
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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
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(intr) to think intently and at length, esp for spiritual reasons; meditate
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to look at thoughtfully; observe pensively
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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
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contemplatessimple
-
have contemplatedperfect
-
has contemplatedperfect
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am contemplatingprogressive
-
are contemplatingprogressive
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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:
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
Who wants to contemplate our technological offspring ending our existence?
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 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
This is a rare chance to encounter one of the world’s masterpieces, contemplate the origins of the modern monarchy, and learn about medieval life firsthand from a work once more on its home soil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Man might be a transmuted ape”—an idea so deeply repulsive that Owen could not even bear to contemplate it.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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 Welsh result is also likely to have an impact on the future of the prime minister as Labour contemplates a challenging set of local elections in England and the election to the Scottish Parliament.
From BBC ● May 7, 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
“The Drama” contemplates thorny matters, but it’s not satire.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
He contemplates the “bond that never lets go of us, not even when we suffer the most, the bond of God’s love.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
They asked their supervisors to approve a new investigation and contemplated using undercover operatives to gather more evidence.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
The move was contemplated for months, said Reagan, the CFO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
But the other difference is that Goode has spent his entire life immersed in the world of reptiles, starting long before he even contemplated making a documentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The couple anxiously contemplated the request before agreeing to lend Barnes £10,000, after he promised it would be repaid within a week.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
As we contemplated the fire, and as I thought what a difficult vision to realise this same Capital sometimes was, I put my hands in my pockets.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
During a shareholder call in August, Zoley said ICE was contemplating buying more than 10 facilities, and that number “could continue to grow.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 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
Sometimes we all need some joy in life, such as contemplating the fattest bears without all the other gloomy stuff in the world.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
If you want to preserve the homely, mom-and-pop feeling of picking out your own merchandise and contemplating the value of a dollar before you enter your credit card info, Amazon is there for you.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
I was just contemplating opening it so I could slam it shut again when a sharp knock behind me about made me jump out of my skin.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
