reflect

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verb re·flect \ ri-ˈflekt \

Definition of reflect

transitive verb

1 archaic :to turn into or away from a course :deflect

2 :to prevent passage of and cause to change direction

a mirror reflects light

3 :to bend or fold back

4 :to give back or exhibit as an image, likeness, or outline :mirror

the clouds were reflected in the water

5 :to bring or cast as a result

his attitude reflects little credit on his judgment

6 :to make manifest or apparent :show

the painting reflects his artistic vision

the pulse reflects the condition of the heart

7 :realize, consider

intransitive verb

1 :to throw back light or sound

2 a :to think quietly and calmly

b :to express a thought or opinion resulting from reflection

3 a :to tend to bring reproach or discredit

an investigation that reflects on all the members of the department

b :to bring about a specified appearance or characterization

an act which reflects well on her

c :to have a bearing or influence

See reflect defined for English-language learners

See reflect defined for kids

Examples of reflect in a Sentence

The old church is reflected in the glass exterior of the skyscraper.
Her book clearly reflects her beliefs.
Where you learned a language is reflected in your accent.

Recent Examples of reflect from the Web

His recent recruiting class reflected some early success as La Salle's Jarell White and Colerain's Kyle Bolden signed and are on the field fighting for jobs.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Unsung locals hope to join Bearcat football chorus soon," 29 Aug. 2017
In the past, merchants risked having goods seized, or their businesses shut down, if bolivar prices reflected the world market prices.

— joshua goodman, The Seattle Times, "US sanctions to pile misery on moribund Venezuelan economy," 28 Aug. 2017
The conflicting views from the Republican governor and the Democratic mayor of Houston reflected the tension that has come to define much of Texas politics.

— manny fernandez and alan blinder, New York Times, "Hurricane Harvey Makes Landfall Near Corpus Christi, Tex.," 25 Aug. 2017
Now in their twenties, their approach to the realities of our world is shifting, which means their material will likely become more personal and reflect their own agendas.

— anne t. donahue, Cosmopolitan, "5 Reasons to Worry Fifth Harmony Will Be the Group’s Last Album," 25 Aug. 2017
The nostalgic video begins and ends with the characters looking through hospital windows, and the story in-between reflects the touching life cycle of many father-daughter relationships.

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "This Viral Windex Ad Is the Most Emotional Thing You'll Watch All Day," 21 Aug. 2017
Even before the news officially broke on Friday, as word spread about a Thursday night meeting to discuss the team’s future, some former players began to reflect on what not having a football season would mean.

— brent kennedy, Howard County Times, "Social media buzzing following decision to cancel Centennial football season," 19 Aug. 2017
Others, perhaps an appreciative parent, can reflect about a manager’s impact on her son.

— tom ibarra, kansascity, "Nine decades of memories will be toasted at summer baseball league’s BJ90 Celebration," 18 Aug. 2017
Times posted by the winners reflect the difficulty of the hilly trail course.

— bill blewett, The Aegis, "Record field ran for wins, wine at Boordy Vineyards," 17 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of reflect

Middle English, from Latin reflectere to bend back, from re- + flectere to bend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

reflect Synonyms

Synonyms

image, mirror

Related Words

clone, copy, duplicate, imitate, reduplicate, repeat, replicate, reproduce

Synonym Discussion of reflect

think, cogitate, reflect, reason, speculate, deliberate mean to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference. think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

- teaches students how to think

cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

- cogitated on the mysteries of nature

reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

- reflecting on fifty years of married life

reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

- able to reason brilliantly in debate

speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

- speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

- the jury deliberated for five hours

REFLECT Defined for English Language Learners

reflect

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verb

Definition of reflect for English Language Learners

of light, sound, etc. : to move in one direction, hit a surface, and then quickly move in a different and usually opposite direction
: to show the image of (something) on a surface
: to show (something) : to make (something) known

REFLECT Defined for Kids

reflect

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verb re·flect \ ri-ˈflekt \

Definition of reflect for Students

reflected; reflecting

1 :to bend or throw back (waves of light, sound, or heat)

A polished surface reflects light.

2 :to give back an image or likeness of in the manner of a mirror

The clouds were reflected in the water.

3 :to make known

The book reflects her beliefs.

4 :to cause to be thought of in a specified way or in a bad way

Your poor behavior reflects on the whole class.

5 :to think seriously and carefully about

I reflected on the problem.

Word Root of reflect

The Latin word flectere, meaning “to bend” or “to curve,” and its form flexus give us the roots flect and flex. Words from the Latin flectere have something to do with bending or curving. To flex is to cause something, such as a muscle, to curve or bend. Something flexible can be bent without breaking. To deflect, or turn aside, is to bend the direction of something. To reflect is to bend an image back to the person looking at a mirror or other shiny surface.