contemplation
noun
con·tem·pla·tion
ˌkän-təm-ˈplā-shən 
-ˌtem-
1
a
: concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion
b
: a state of mystical awareness of God's being
2
: an act of considering with attention : study
made the decision after much contemplation
3
: the act of regarding steadily
was lost in quiet contemplation of the scene
4
: intention, expectation
"A considerable crime is in contemplation."—
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan DoyleExamples of contemplation in a Sentence
contemplation of the meaning of life
He goes to the forest to spend time in contemplation of nature.
She was lost in quiet contemplation of the scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
Among them, not least, is the modest, egoless ideal of democratic tradition captured so perfectly in such American monuments as the Lincoln Memorial, which shows not a hero but a man, seated, in grave contemplation.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Also, of course, I am handicapped by knowing that this couldn’t be printed in the foreseeable future, and by the fact that contemplation of this material has become painful.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
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Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Also, of course, I am handicapped by knowing that this couldn’t be printed in the foreseeable future, and by the fact that contemplation of this material has become painful.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
Cite this Entry
“Contemplation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemplation. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contemplation
noun
con·tem·pla·tion
ˌkänt-əm-ˈplā-shən
ˌkän-ˌtem-
1
: the act of thinking about spiritual things : meditation
2
: the act of looking at or thinking about something steadily
3
: a looking ahead to some future event : anticipation
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