meditate

verb

med·​i·​tate ˈme-də-ˌtāt 

meditated; meditating

intransitive verb

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.

meditator

ˈme-də-ˌtā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• chew over
• cogitate
• consider
• contemplate
• debate
• deliberate
• entertain
• eye
• kick around
• mull (over)
• perpend
• ponder
• pore (over)
• question
• revolve
• ruminate
• study
• think (about or over)
• turn
• weigh
• wrestle (with)

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

Or meditate or work out—whatever helps you de-stress—before sitting down to pay bills or tackle other financial tasks. —Diane Harris, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024

Examples are meditating, exercising, connecting with others, and listening to music—but the goal is to find something relaxing for you.14 6. —Carey Rossi, Health, 9 Apr. 2024

In addition to touching on locales like Peoria and Decatur, figures like Frank Lloyd Wright and Carl Sandburg, and esoterica like the 1893 Columbian Exposition’s White City, the album’s tracks meditate on love, loss, liberation, Christianity, mystery, and self-discovery. —Jasper Davidoff, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024

For his own mental health, Bass likes to meditate and make his bed to start the day off with a win. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024

Some take time to meditate and reflect on the universe, while others engage in rituals to ward off negative energies. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

On a trans-Okavango journey, writer Alex Postman meditates on questions of conservation. —Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024

These practices empower our clients, many of whom have never been able to meditate or relax, to independently cultivate their own peace and calm. —Yola Robert, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

More than 40 percent of Black churchgoers also meditate daily or weekly. —Essence, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri to remedy — more at medical

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing meditate

• meditate on/upon

Kids Definition

meditate

verb

med·​i·​tate ˈmed-ə-ˌtāt 

meditated; meditating

1

a

: to consider or think over carefully : contemplate

b

: to spend time in quiet thinking : reflect

2

: intend, plan

meditate a trip abroad