meditate

verb

med·i·tate | \ˈme-də-ˌtāt

meditated; meditating

Definition of meditate

1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection He meditated long and hard before announcing his decision.

2 : to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

transitive verb

1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over He was meditating his past achievements.

2 : to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose He was meditating revenge.

Other Words from meditate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about meditate

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Choose the Right Synonym for meditate

ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately. ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter. pondered the course of action meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply. meditated on the meaning of life muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance. mused upon childhood joys ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption. ruminated on past disappointments

Examples of meditate in a Sentence

He meditates for an hour every morning. I've been meditating a career change for months.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a reason Buddhist monks meditate on charnel grounds, and why Cicero said the contemplation of death was the beginning of philosophy. — Parul Sehgal, New York Times, "What the Living Can Learn by Looking Death Straight in the Eye," 26 June 2018 Ulliel reprises his role as the independent man who answers only to himself, but this time, he’s matured, and leaves parties to be alone and meditate (wellness!). — Shannon Barbour, The Cut, "Chanel’s Newest Fragrance Is for Men Who Meditate," 31 May 2018 One of the simplest and best uses of full moon energy is to meditate in its light for clarity on a situation. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "How to Harness the Magical Power of Each Moon Phase," 3 July 2018 According to The Times, the actress meditates twice a day after Oprah Winfrey inspired her to read The Untethered Soul. — Alessandra Rincón, Billboard, "5 Things We Learned From Lindsay Lohan's 'New York Times' Profile," 26 June 2018 After that, there’s a vote over whether to recap or meditate, and recapping wins. — Max Guther, Esquire, "Sriracha Is for Closers," 16 Jan. 2018 At Racked, Kyle Chayka meditates on style, algorithms, and our generic yet lullingly unobjectionable future. — Michelle Weber, Longreads, "Do These Pants Make Me Look Like Everyone Else? Be Honest, Alexa.," 19 Apr. 2018 One answer is that their 25-year-old coach, a former Buddhist monk, reportedly taught the boys to meditate, to help slow their breathing and quiet their nerves. — Jennifer Breheny Wallace, WSJ, "Thai Cave Rescue Highlights the Value of Teaching Children to Meditate," 13 July 2018 Jantawong, once trapped himself, is credited for teaching the team to meditate to help them stay calm during their entombment. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "What's Next For The Rescued Thai Soccer Team?," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meditate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.