- 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.
This man, meanwhile, is contemplating waiting so that his wife will get a higher amount through survivor benefits in the event he dies before she does.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
OpenAI is known to be contemplating a similar approach but hasn’t yet filed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Now he has been ejected from power by his own party and instead of ushering in a "decade of national renewal," as he had promised, he is contemplating a return to the back benches.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
As Tarps Off started generating headlines, the Cardinals naturally began contemplating ways they could capitalize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
When this book went to press, they were contemplating class action.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
