reflect

verb

re·flect | \ ri-ˈflekt

reflected; reflecting; reflects

Definition of reflect

transitive verb

1 : to prevent passage of and cause to change direction a mirror reflects light

2 : to give back or exhibit as an image, likeness, or outline : mirror the clouds were reflected in the water

3 : to bring or cast as a result his attitude reflects little credit on his judgment

4 : to make manifest or apparent : show the painting reflects his artistic vision the pulse reflects the condition of the heart

5 : realize, consider

6 : to bend or fold back

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

intransitive verb

1 : to throw back light or sound

2a : to think quietly and calmly

b : to express a thought or opinion resulting from reflection

3a : 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

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about reflect

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

But the numbers over a longer term don't appear to reflect such a correlation. — AZCentral.com, "Phoenix police shot at more people than NYPD did in 2018. Will that change?," 20 June 2019 Despite attempting to become more internally democratic in their approach, UK parties have come to reflect a smaller slice of British voters over the years. — Adam Rasmi, Quartz, "Fewer than 160,000 people will select the next UK prime minister. Who are they?," 19 June 2019 My job as a candidate was to reflect the will of our community, and that didn't stop once I was elected. — Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, "New Clear Creek ISD trustee’s emphasis: Open dialogue," 19 June 2019 For some, like JEB, art has been a vehicle through which to reflect—and affirm—communities rendered invisible in spaces of artistic and political power. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "The Lesbian ‘Propagandist’ Who Documented a Movement," 19 June 2019 This can create confusion when a person uses one name to reflect their identity, but may have a different name legally. — CBS News, "Mastercard to allow transgender people to use their chosen name," 17 June 2019 Since the 2018 approval of just one MAS course — an elective, for goodness’ sake — educators who were at the heart of the historic win have had some time to reflect, plan and execute several projects. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio an epicenter of newfound appreciation for Mexican American Studies," 13 June 2019 The new establishment, created by Universal Orlando, is designed to resemble a lake house that has grown and evolved to reflect the changing needs of its owner, said Ric Florell, executive vice president, revenue operations. — Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, "Universal CityWalk previews new restaurant named Bigfire," 11 June 2019 This story has been updated to reflect that seven states are working on maximum contaminant levels. — Laura Mccrystal, https://www.inquirer.com, "Setting clean water standards is the EPA’s job. Pa. and other states are doing it instead.," 6 June 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about reflect

Dictionary Entries near reflect

Statistics for reflect

Last Updated

24 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for reflect

The first known use of reflect was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for reflect

reflect

verb

English Language Learners Definition of reflect

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

See the full definition for reflect in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reflect

verb

re·flect | \ ri-ˈflekt

reflected; reflecting

Kids Definition of reflect

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.

reflect

transitive verb

re·flect | \ ri-ˈflekt

Medical Definition of reflect

1 : to bend or fold back : impart a backward curve, bend, or fold to

2 : to push or lay aside (as tissue or an organ) during surgery in order to gain access to the part to be operated on the pleura were reflected and later closed over the stump

intransitive verb

: to throw back light or sound : return rays, beams, or waves