as in thoughtful
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a contemplative person who likes to go on solitary walks the contemplative life of the monks at the abbey
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemplative
His contemplative, emotionally nuanced storytelling has established him as a significant voice in contemporary Japanese cinema.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 May 2025
Some are more humorous observations of people and situations, while others are more contemplative.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 June 2025
Outside the Casa Sanlorenzo, a contemplative Venetian Garden offers space for contemplation.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Ed’s blush somehow managed to overlap his cheeks and spread across his chin, his forehead, his ears, and into his greatest receptacle of all: his kindly, contemplative soul.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplative
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 May 2025
Some are more humorous observations of people and situations, while others are more contemplative.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 June 2025
Outside the Casa Sanlorenzo, a contemplative Venetian Garden offers space for contemplation.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Ed’s blush somehow managed to overlap his cheeks and spread across his chin, his forehead, his ears, and into his greatest receptacle of all: his kindly, contemplative soul.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplative
Adjective
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Fans show up to the Cowboy Carter tour in thoughtful, inventive takes on Western Americana fashion, stadiums filled with denim, bandanas, cowboy hats, and looks that don’t just scream U.S.A but hoot and holler.—
Leah Faye Cooper,
Vogue,
4 July 2025
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The rare scary movie that's also a thoughtful exploration of family, tribalism and remembering the dead.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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In this evocative, melancholy tale, an Italian champion racer is tasked with driving a car from Italy into Russia.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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The commercial, as many may recall, features a montage of animal clips set to the melancholy ballad.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Faculty at Ivy League and other top schools are encouraged to revisit their course policies regularly, experiment with new pedagogical methods, and guide students through the process of using AI in responsible, reflective ways.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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On July 5, the low angle of the sun will cast prominent shadows along the eastern rim of the impact crater, while highlighting reflective debris streaks known as ejecta rays that were cast out during its creation some 800 million years ago.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Known for her work that celebrates female forms through earthy textures, Wu believes that the meditative art of ceramics can only be fully appreciated in quietude.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
27 June 2025
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Her exercises, lifted from decades of performance scores, are designed to turn ordinary acts into meditative rituals.—
Ellen O'Connell Whittet
June 25,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The show ran for two seasons. 07 of 18 Sean Penn and Hopper Penn Sean Penn and Robin Wright's son, Hopper — pictured here with sister Dylan — shares his father's pensive stare and has opened up about his no-nonsense parenting style while growing up.—
Lydia Price,
People.com,
11 June 2025
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His subtle direction also basks in critical moments of silence: a smoke break outside the classroom, the frustrated focus during an exam, and the pensive, haunting opening and closing image of Marjan looking out through semi-transparent curtains.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Jefferson rooted the Declaration in natural philosophy, or the philosophical study of nature and the physical universe without consideration of supernatural causes.—
Time,
Time,
1 July 2025
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Barry Lam teaches in the philosophy department at the University of California, Riverside, and hosts a popular podcast, Hi-Phi Nation, which applies philosophical modes of inquiry to everyday topics.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemplative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplative. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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