1
as in meditation
long or deep thinking about spiritual matters
the decision to enter a monastery and to spend one's life in prayer and contemplation
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2
as in anticipation
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence
in contemplation of their children's college expenses, they started saving early
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemplation
For so many of our entertainment heroes, considering their legacy is more about contemplation than unabashed celebration.
—
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
The monastery is also home to pink-robe-wearing novice monks, who train at Taung Kalat, and yetis, or hermit monks, who glide in their peaked caps in quiet contemplation across the precariously balanced complex.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025
This is followed by solitary Bible study and contemplation.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
At the other end of Eilean Mòr, past a mossy Celtic cross standing like a lighthouse at the island’s tallest point, Sandy showed us the Cave of Saint Cormac, its opening hardly more than four feet high, where eighth-century monks used to retreat for periods of secluded contemplation.
—Leslie Jamison, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
The monastery is also home to pink-robe-wearing novice monks, who train at Taung Kalat, and yetis, or hermit monks, who glide in their peaked caps in quiet contemplation across the precariously balanced complex.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025
This is followed by solitary Bible study and contemplation.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
At the other end of Eilean Mòr, past a mossy Celtic cross standing like a lighthouse at the island’s tallest point, Sandy showed us the Cave of Saint Cormac, its opening hardly more than four feet high, where eighth-century monks used to retreat for periods of secluded contemplation.
—Leslie Jamison, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplation
Noun
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Started roughly a month ago by John Schwarz, a Chicago-area meditation and mindfulness educator, the idea has taken off on social media, where searches for the term surface hundreds of posts of people sharing screenshots of infographics and encouraging others to participate in the protest.—
Angela Yang,
NBC News,
28 Feb. 2025
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The audience was enraptured in a deep meditation from start to finish.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Some had done so preemptively, in mere anticipation of the new Trump presidency.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
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Daniels, who is 6'8 and enormously athletic, has already - at such a young age - found a way to bridge the two aspects, and combine them with his uncanny basketball IQ that takes into account timing, player tendencies, and anticipation.—
Morten Stig Jensen,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Alex Pereira Rematch Opening Odds With the expectation that Ankalaev and Pereira will tangle again in the near future, BetOnline published opening odds for the rematch.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Her win, if nothing else, was a reminder that careers can take unexpected turns, no matter the expectations.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemplation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplation. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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