meditative
Americanadjective
Related Words
See pensive.
Other Word Forms
- meditatively adverb
- meditativeness noun
- nonmeditative adjective
- nonmeditatively adverb
- nonmeditativeness noun
- unmeditative adjective
- unmeditatively adverb
Etymology
Origin of meditative
From the Late Latin word meditātīvus, dating back to 1605–15. See meditate, -ive
Explanation
The adjective meditative is good for describing something that's reflective or deeply thoughtful. Your favorite movies might be quiet, slow-paced, and meditative. When you reflect on your life or an important decision, you are meditative, and anything that involves this state of mind can be described the same way. A yoga studio often has a meditative feeling about it, and good, thoughtful advice is usually offered in a meditative way. The root of meditative is the Latin word meditat, or "contemplated," which in turn comes from a Proto-Indo-European root that means "to measure, consider, or advise."
Vocabulary lists containing meditative
This Week in Pop Culture: January 19 - 25, 2019
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Our Town
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"Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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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.
The meditative quality of stargazing can reduce anxiety and stress, while forcing people to pull themselves away from their phones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
"It's almost meditative doing something creative with my hands."
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
There’s even a mini chapel — yes, a chapel — complete with stained glass windows initially designed by children, for those who need a meditative break from running the grounds.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026
“No matter how mundane some action might appear,” he writes, “keep at it long enough and it becomes a contemplative, even meditative act.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
The thrush in my backyard sings down his nose in meditative, liquid runs of melody, over and over again, and I have the strongest impression that he does this for his own pleasure.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
