meditation
Americannoun
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the act of meditating.
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continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.
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devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection.
noun
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the act of meditating; contemplation; reflection
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contemplation of spiritual matters, esp as a religious practice
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of meditation
First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin meditātiōn-, stem of meditātiō “contemplation, planning”; equivalent to meditate + -ion
Explanation
A meditation is an extended period of thought or concentration. If you practice yoga and you often meditate, you know what meditation is. But any time you focus on one thing for a long time, it's an act of meditation. After you've thought about something for a while, you can write about it, and that writing could be called a meditation, too. Beethoven's Ode to Joy is a meditation on joy. If you're easily upset by things, consider meditation. Slowing down your thought process and concentrating on it for a while can make you feel better. Samurai were known for meditating before going into battle. Meditation gave them focus, and focus gave them power.
Vocabulary lists containing meditation
World Religions
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South Asia - Introductory
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South Asia - Middle School and High School
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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:
Call it a meditation on the cyclical nature of existence—or simply the power of good timing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Its key highlights were a meditation sanctuary, vegetarian restaurant and "psychic" readings, organised by the British Astrological Society and Psychic Society.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Phra Sompong, who was a monk in the group, said he was chanting the meditation mantra "Buddho, Buddho" before the crash happened.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
But it is also a memorable — and much analyzed — meditation on class in the American century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
When the customary time for the practice of meditation had passed, Govinda rose.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
It’s a welcome sequel to its predecessor that shares many of its sonic characteristics while shifting from thoughts on a difficult past to meditations on mortality shot through with gratitude and wisdom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
“Fantasy” resulted from his meditations within the pyramids of Giza and his claimed communications with aliens.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
Increasingly, Galsworthy turns to meditations, as in this passage from “Indian Summer of a Forsyte” as the elderly Jolyon looks back:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
The judges called it "an intimate and expansive epic about two people finding a pathway to love and each other", adding: "Rich in meditations about class, race and nationhood, this book has it all."
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
We lay silently, wrapped in our individual meditations.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
