contemplative
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- contemplatively adverb
- contemplativeness noun
- noncontemplative adjective
- noncontemplatively adverb
- noncontemplativeness noun
- uncontemplative adjective
- uncontemplatively adverb
- uncontemplativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of contemplative
First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin contemplātīvus, from contemplāt(us) “surveyed, observed” ( contemplate ) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English contemplatif, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
The contemplative life is one filled with deep and serious thought, and is often associated with monks, nuns, philosophers, and theorists. The adjective contemplative means "pensive," "meditative," or "brooding." Contemplative moments, of course, aren't restricted to white-bearded hermits living in caves on mountaintops. You might also hear the word when people are talking about yoga or meditation, as these are quiet activities meant to be thoughtfully performed. Some kinds of poetry and music are described as contemplative, especially if they give you space to daydream or think about their themes. A walk through nature can also be a contemplative activity.
Vocabulary lists containing contemplative
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 7
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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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.
After the energy of the five opening songs, we hear the resonant toll of The Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok - one of Korea's national treasures - and BTS slip into a more contemplative mode.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Unlike Douglas Sirk’s beautifully photographed Technicolor melodramas of the 1950s, or the subgenre’s more narratively contemplative, weepy entries from the late ’70s, the new guard of romantic tearjerkers doesn’t have a pronounced stylistic draw.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
Quiet and contemplative, he seems dry next to the charming Ohtani.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026
Pratt said his concept for the memorial, titled “Warriors’ Circle of Honor”—a contemplative and subtly interactive space, focused around a circular stainless steel sculpture, mounted on a drum—came to him in a dream.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
In his new personage he was always cold, sullen, distant, contemplative; always wrinkling his brow and scratching his balding head and wringing his hands and muttering curses and complaints, especially on Fridays.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
