Definition of reflective
1 : capable of reflecting light, images, or sound waves
2 : marked by reflection : thoughtful, deliberative
3 : of, relating to, or caused by reflection reflective glare
4 : reflexive 3
5 : reflecting something : indicative how fashion is reflective of society — Glenda Bailey
reflectively
adverbreflectiveness
nounreflectivity
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of reflective in a Sentence
the reflective glare of the shiny metal
She was in a very reflective mood.
Recent Examples of reflective from the Web
-
Making your texts more reflective of the world around us, the emoji update will include a woman wearing a headscarf as well as a woman breastfeeding a child.
-
In true festival fashion, reflective eyewear was ubiquitous, and bandanas were worn as both chokers and crop tops.
-
Svaty defends his record as reflective of the values of his rural House district.
-
Moses looks at his art in a way reflective of his past as a battlefield surgical technician during World War II.
-
In addition, most of the traffic signals along this section of Dixie are being upgraded by replacing poles, adding permitted/protected left turn arrows and installing reflective back plates – as well as pedestrian push buttons.
-
The atmosphere is reflective and solemn, with quiet reading rooms offering books, newspapers, spaces to practice calligraphy, and tea.
-
So ESPN viewers were treated to analysis of how Pasecniks would fit in with the Magic and discussion of how this was reflective of new Orlando general manager John Hammond’s strategy.
-
Dykema and his collaborators plan to create a kilometer-long swath of reflective ice crystals in the frigid upper atmosphere by releasing water vapor behind a future World View balloon.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reflective.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Reflective people are people who reflect on things--that is, look back at things that have been done or said in order to think calmly and quietly about them. Most reflective people would agree with Socrates that (as he told the jury that would soon sentence him to death) "The unexamined life is not worth living". Reflective people tend to be a bit philosophical and intellectual. But almost everyone has reflective moods; gazing into a fireplace or a campfire seems to do it to almost everyone.
First Known Use of reflective
1627
Other Physics Terms
REFLECTIVE Defined for English Language Learners
reflective
playDefinition of reflective for English Language Learners
-
: causing light, sound, or heat to move away : reflecting light, sound, or heat
-
: relating to or caused by light that reflects off a surface
-
: thinking carefully about something
Medical Dictionary
reflective
playMedical Definition of reflective
1: capable of reflecting light, images, or sound waves
2: of, relating to, or caused by reflection reflective glare of the snow
Learn More about reflective
-
See words that rhyme with reflective Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reflective Spanish Central: Translation of reflective Nglish: Translation of reflective for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up reflective? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!