reflective
Americanadjective
-
that reflects; reflecting.
-
of or relating to reflection.
-
cast by reflection.
-
given to, marked by, or concerned with meditation or deliberation.
a reflective person.
- Synonyms:
- thoughtful, contemplative
adjective
-
characterized by quiet thought or contemplation
-
capable of reflecting
a reflective surface
-
produced by reflection
Related Words
See pensive.
Other Word Forms
- antireflective adjective
- antireflectively adverb
- antireflectiveness noun
- nonreflective adjective
- nonreflectively adverb
- nonreflectiveness noun
- overreflective adjective
- overreflectively adverb
- overreflectiveness noun
- reflectively adverb
- reflectiveness noun
- reflectivity noun
- self-reflective adjective
Etymology
Origin of reflective
Explanation
Reflective is an adjective that can describe a person who thinks things through, or a surface that reflects light or sound, like the reflective lettering on a stop sign. To reflect is to bounce back an image, light, or sound. A reflective surface is one that can bounce back light — like the reflective sun shade that you put over the windshield of your car. It bounces the sun's rays away, helping the interior cool. A reflective person is a little different — he or she might have great insight due to taking the time to time carefully about things.
Vocabulary lists containing reflective
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Far from the Tree
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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.
These people are “toxic,” she says, “and not reflective of the voters. They are given outsized influence and they need to be cut down.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
“The headlines you read are not necessarily reflective of the private credit market, of which we’ve been a big participant in the above investment grade business, and we’ll continue to be so,” he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
The message, which spread rapidly across social media, stood in contrast to the typically reflective tone associated with the holiday.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
He points to Ari Aster’s small-town social satire “Eddington” as a film that is reflective of its moment without being didactic.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
But, ‘the importance of the praise given the unsolitary, richly passionate and spontaneous life is that it simultaneously reflects the value of a reflective life.’
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
