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.

---

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

---

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.

---

reflection Cultural  

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

---

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

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

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

“As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits,” the university said in its statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

That Jackson’s ascension by convention counts as normal is less a reflection of the process itself than a product of the preconvention roller coaster ride that brought Democrats to where they are now.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

There’s no room for nuance and no time for reflection.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

And he is expected to characterise the moment as one of "reflection and resolution", arguing Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

A reflection of light in a rectangular shape slid across the wall.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

A pair of heartwarming World Cup reflections: Soccer stirs up all sorts of emotions for fans.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026

Madonna’s reflections on motherhood and spirituality in “Ray of Light” were unanimously praised.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

He told the BBC his first reaction was relief because the show was based on "reflections and realisations I'd had over the past few years, and I wanted to express how I truly felt".

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

This time around required him to carry the character’s story through his own reflections.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

The mirrors showed no reflections now, and the candles left tiny balls of light on the water's surface.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

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