reflective

[ ri-flek-tiv ]
See synonyms for reflective on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of or relating to reflection.

  1. cast by reflection.

  2. given to, marked by, or concerned with meditation or deliberation: a reflective person.

Origin of reflective

1
First recorded in 1620–30; reflect + -ive

synonym study For reflective

4. See pensive.

Other words for reflective

Other words from reflective

  • re·flec·tive·ly, adverb
  • re·flec·tive·ness, re·flec·tiv·i·ty [ree-flek-tiv-i-tee], /ˌri flɛkˈtɪv ɪ ti/, noun
  • an·ti·re·flec·tive, adjective
  • an·ti·re·flec·tive·ly, adverb
  • an·ti·re·flec·tive·ness, noun
  • non·re·flec·tive, adjective
  • non·re·flec·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·re·flec·tive·ness, noun
  • o·ver·re·flec·tive, adjective
  • o·ver·re·flec·tive·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·re·flec·tive·ness, noun
  • self-re·flec·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reflective in a sentence

  • When Aunt Ri heard that Farrar had fled the country, she pushed up her spectacles and looked reflectively at her informant.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • Margaret Halley stared reflectively at the blotting-pad for a moment, and then described a typical seance at Kazmah's.

    Dope | Sax Rohmer
  • Scattergood Baines sat on the piazza of his hardware store and twiddled his bare toes reflectively.

    Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington Kelland
  • This time they both peered reflectively at the auction announcement on the wall, smoking and spitting as they peered.

    Mushroom Town | Oliver Onions
  • Her mother sipped her cocoa reflectively, and did not raise the question of the exact meaning of the word afraid.

    Happy House | Betsey Riddle, Freifrau von Hutten zum Stolzenberg

British Dictionary definitions for reflective

reflective

/ (rɪˈflɛktɪv) /


adjective
  1. characterized by quiet thought or contemplation

  2. capable of reflecting: a reflective surface

  1. produced by reflection

Derived forms of reflective

  • reflectively, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012