meditation

American  

[med-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌmɛd ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of meditating.

2. continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.

3. Transcendental Meditation.

4. devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection.

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meditation British  

/ ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of meditating; contemplation; reflection

2. contemplation of spiritual matters, esp as a religious practice

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Etymology

Origin of meditation

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin meditātiōn-, stem of meditātiō “contemplation, planning”; equivalent to meditate + -ion

Example Sentences

The monks are expected to arrive in the capital on February 10 and visit the Washington National Cathedral before holding a meditation retreat the following day.

From Barron's

Instead, Mr. Oliver suggests, among other things, meditation and yoga, explaining how these Eastern practices can help up transcend our personal preoccupations and loosen the constraints of the ego’s self-obsession.

From The Wall Street Journal

This sounds like both a fantasy and a serious meditation on belonging to me, and I’m ready to go.

From Los Angeles Times

A 1772 meditation about the crucifixion by a man who struggled with depression all his life, the hymn dwells on Christ’s gory death and evokes the metaphor of sinners bathing in blood.

From The Wall Street Journal

Metaphorically, the answer must be yes, because any fragment can be used as a touchstone for meditation and memory making, whether in a cathedral or Neolithic stone circle.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• introspection
• reflection
• rumination
• self-examination