- 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.
Rojas has shied away from a full farewell tour but is contemplating returning after the season and transitioning into a player development role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Alex Kirshner explains why Michigan’s latest controversy has spectators contemplating the nature of time itself.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
But dissidents contemplating moves against military governments elsewhere in the Sahel region may now have to factor Russian forces into their calculations.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Exports surged 23.9% in the 12 months from July 2025, but that will only heighten concerns about “China Shock 2.0” that have economies all over the world contemplating draconian restrictions on Chinese trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Our family would spend the rest of the evening quiet and somber, often in prayer, contemplating such a depth of hatred and depravity.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
