contemplative

1 of 2

adjective

con·​tem·​pla·​tive kən-ˈtem-plə-tiv How to pronounce contemplative (audio)
ˈkän-təm-ˌplā-,
-ˌtem- How to pronounce contemplative (audio)
: marked by or given to contemplation
specifically : of or relating to a religious order devoted to prayer and penance
a contemplative order of nuns
contemplatively adverb
contemplativeness noun

contemplative

2 of 2

noun

: a person who practices contemplation

Examples of contemplative in a Sentence

Adjective He has lived a quiet, contemplative life. She joined a contemplative order of nuns.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Meanwhile, each actor's performance as a soft, contemplative elder statesman has a soulful, grandfatherly quality that complicates the damage that their characters do. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 As if charting the cartography of her soul from her vivacious 20s through the profound 30s to the contemplative 40s, each iteration of Xiao Xia encapsulates the multifaceted essence of a woman’s pilgrimage through life. Billboard China, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The art form reflects contemplative ideas of nature, elements, and change, uniquely expressed on a small scale. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 His characters are often haunted, contemplative, and always fascinating. Danny Horn, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Yet the 24-year-old former standout at Agoura High School is now more contemplative. John Ortega, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 In addition to showcasing some of the state’s most stunning blooms in an authentic Japanese setting, the Richard & Helen Devos Japanese Garden has a contemplative Zen-style garden, waterfalls, bonsai trees, Japanese maple trees, and serviceberry trees — the latter also bloom in spring. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 Bham says that the film’s sweeping landscapes, depicted in contemplative shots, invite the audience to inhabit Pema’s emotional landscape, experience her solitude and introspection firsthand and serve to mirror her inner world. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024 The director’s own path as a cultural revenant continues to be inextricably woven through her work, alongside a contemplative consideration of repatriation and reparations, in her multifaceted medium-length docu-fictional essay Dahomey. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024
Noun
The lengthy, meandering interview displayed sides of Musk from combative and smug to philosophical and contemplative. Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 Worldly and contemplative, the Hated were marking their place in an unjust society, perhaps to simply affirm their existence. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023 This contemplative, unhurried workflow resulted in Promises, the 2021 collaborative album from Floating Points and Sanders, along with the London Symphony Orchestra. Katie Bain, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2023 Pictured in a black hat and her sunglasses, the singer sat on the floor looking contemplative in the first photo. Jill Lupupa, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2023 Both contemplative, both informed by Grant’s mellow vocals, the tracks have jumpstarted Grant’s return to songwriting. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 5 May 2023 It’s this juxtaposition — between the feel-good and the contemplative — that not only defines Ballerini’s life at the moment but also her mature and refreshing new LP. Dan Hyman, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2022 Stolevski treats every frame with a gentle, Terrence Malick–ian touch, creating a contemplative—and spellbinding—study of the human condition through the eyes of an unconventional subject. David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022 Being near the most sacred part of the house made a contemplative out of her. Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 3 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contemplative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English contemplatif "devoted to or concerned with spiritual meditation," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contemplātīvus, going back to Latin, "theoretical, speculative," from contemplātus, past participle of contemplāre, contemplārī "to look at fixedly, observe, notice, ponder" + -īvus -ive — more at contemplate

Noun

Middle English contemplatyfe "person devoted to spiritual meditation," borrowed from Medieval Latin contemplātīvus, noun derivative of contemplātīvus "devoted to or concerned with spiritual meditation" — more at contemplative entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contemplative was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near contemplative

Cite this Entry

“Contemplative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemplative. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contemplative

adjective
con·​tem·​pla·​tive
kən-ˈtem-plət-iv;
ˈkänt-əm-ˌplāt-,
ˈkän-ˌtem-
: involving or devoted to contemplation : meditative
the contemplative life
contemplatively adverb
contemplativeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on contemplative

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