meditation
Americannoun
-
meditations
plural
-
the act of meditating.
-
continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.
-
devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection.
noun
-
the act of meditating; contemplation; reflection
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
South Asia - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
South Asia - Middle School and High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Toward the end of the meditation, Whitmore asked participants to envision an animal and invited them to receive its message.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Phillips said her sister, a mother-of-two living in Germany, was in the country for a yoga and meditation retreat.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Every month the group meets in a different city park to do yoga and meditate together, and they also come together for online meditation sessions over Zoom.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Yet the show, now on view at the Brick through Sept. 19, is an achingly beautiful meditation on the difficulty of communication and the shared goodwill that intermittently, imperfectly, surmounts it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Rain always recommended meditation for stress and confusion.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Both “WandaVision” and “Agatha” were meditations on grief, trauma and motherhood, by way of sitcoms and magical escape rooms, respectively.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 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
It features guided meditations on themes such as restorative sleep and reframing anxiety.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
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.
