meditate

American  

[med-i-teyt] / ˈmɛd ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used without object)

meditated, meditating

1. to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.

   Synonyms:

   think, study, cogitate, ruminate, muse, ponder

2. to engage in Transcendental Meditation, devout religious contemplation, or quiescent spiritual introspection.

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verb (used with object)

meditated, meditating

1. to consider as something to be done or effected; intend; purpose.

   to meditate revenge.

   Synonyms:

   contrive, devise, plan, contemplate

meditate British  

/ ˈmɛdɪˌteɪt /

verb

1. (intr; foll by on or upon) to think about something deeply

2. (intr) to reflect deeply on spiritual matters, esp as a religious act

   I make space to meditate every day

3. (tr) to plan, consider, or think of doing (something)

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Other Word Forms

• meditatingly
  adverb
• meditative
  adjective
• meditatively
  adverb
• meditativeness
  noun
• meditator
  noun
• unmeditated
  adjective
• unmeditating
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of meditate

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin meditātus “contemplated, planned,” past participle of meditārī “to meditate, contemplate, plan”

Explanation

When you meditate, you silently calm or focus your mind for relaxation or spiritual reasons. People who meditate regularly can put a stop to racing thoughts, making them less distracted. When you meditate, you focus on your breathing while sitting calmly. Some people mediate to reduce stress, while others see it as part of their spiritual practice. Meditate can also be used to describe any deep thinking you do, like when you meditate on what to say to a friend who is feeling sad lately. The Latin word for "ponder," meditari, is the root of meditate.

Example Sentences

His new songs are set in small towns where there’s a lot of time to think, and the quiet spaces allow him to meditate on mortality and what it means to live a good life.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

If you can spend three minutes washing your face everyday to look good physically, you can take three minutes to meditate to make your mind happy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Now, Angelenos can meditate on his importance to the sport through the numerous murals of him and his late daughter, Gianna, around the city.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

There was a lot of time for reflection and Izzy said she would write in her journal, meditate, read and pray - even though she had never been religious before.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

There, at noon and again at around three in the afternoon, unnoticed by others in the furniture store, we would rinse our hands, faces and mouths, and softly meditate.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• ponder
• ruminate