reflection

American  

[ri-flek-shuhn] / rɪˈflɛk ʃən /

especially British, reflexion

noun

• reflections
  plural

1. 

   the act of reflecting, as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image; the state of being reflected in this way.

2. an image; representation; counterpart.

3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.

   Synonyms:

   thinking, study, cogitation, deliberation, rumination, meditation

4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.

5. an unfavorable remark or observation.

   Synonyms:

   criticism, reproach, aspersion, imputation

6. the casting of some imputation or reproach.

7. Physics, Optics.

   1. the return of light, heat, sound, etc., after striking a surface.

   2. something so reflected, as heat or especially light.

8. Mathematics.

   1. (in a plane) the replacement of each point on one side of a line by the point symmetrically placed on the other side of the line.

   2. (in space) the replacement of each point on one side of a plane by the symmetric point on the other side of the plane.

9. Anatomy. the bending or folding back of a part upon itself.

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reflection British  

/ rɪˈflɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected

2. something reflected or the image so produced, as by a mirror

3. careful or long consideration or thought

4. implicit or explicit attribution of discredit or blame

5. maths a transformation in which the direction of one axis is reversed or which changes the sign of one of the variables

6. anatomy the bending back of a structure or part upon itself

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reflection Scientific  

/ rĭ-flĕk′shən /

1. The change in direction of a wave, such as a light or sound wave, away from a boundary the wave encounters. Reflected waves remain in their original medium rather than entering the medium they encounter.

2. ◆ According to the law of reflection, the angle of reflection of a reflected wave is equal to its angle of incidence.

3. Compare refraction See more at wave

4. Something, such as sound, light, or heat, that is reflected.

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reflection Cultural  

1. A bouncing of light off a surface. People see themselves in mirrors through reflection. (Compare refraction.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interreflection
  noun
• nonreflection
  noun
• overreflection
  noun
• self-reflection
  noun
• superreflection
  noun
• reflectional
  adjective
• reflectionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reflections
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of reflection

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin reflexiōn-, stem of reflexiō “a bending back,” from Latin reflex(us) “bent back” (past participle of reflectere; see reflect) + -iō -ion

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Explanation

Your reflection is what you see in the mirror. Other things that bounce back at you are also reflections — light waves, sound waves, even your thoughts. Reflection comes from the Latin reflectere, made up of the prefix re-, "back," and flectere, "to bend." So it's bending something back: your reflection in the mirror is the light waves that bounce your image back at you. When you pause for reflection — serious thinking, that is — your thoughts are bending inward. Reflection can also be a consequence of something: the way your dog mopes around when you're away is a reflection of how much he misses you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reflection reflections

James says that decision to acquire Wilson is “likely a reflection of management confidence and the early success of the Cole Group transaction.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Castillo said the world is now asking "harder questions" of its tech heroes, adding: "There's a little bit more reflection because of what's happened with this generation."

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

The end result is just a reflection of what he cares about, his morals and principles, while avoiding the unfunny thought of a comedian’s role in society, Rajapaksa said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

This particular month, information technology commodities rose 0.9%, “a reflection of the AI buildout,” said Mark Streiber of FHN Financial.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Boaz looked at his father’s reflection, watched as it gave a small wave, as if him showing up in the mirror of their bathroom, after nearly eighteen years of nothing, was entirely normal.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

The royals will also join survivors, bereaved parents and other members of the community to mark the anniversary, who will share their personal reflections.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Occasionally, the style can grate, the pileup of short, declarative sentences and pithy reflections threatening to derail us.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The trip prompted personal reflections for Poole González, who was born in the U.S. to a mother who departed Cuba with her family a decade after the revolution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cornell’s report follows similar reflections from Yale University and Vanderbilt University, which criticized institutional missteps and blind spots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Their mutual affection “accompanied us thro’ long and important scenes,” he wrote, and “the different conclusions we had drawn from our political reading and reflections were not permitted to lessen mutual esteem.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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Related Words

• consideration
• contemplation
• idea
• impression
• meditation
• observation
• opinion
• rumination
• view

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