Synonyms of contemplation

contemplation

noun

ˌkän-təm-ˈplā-shən 

1

as in meditation

long or deep thinking about spiritual matters

the decision to enter a monastery and to spend one's life in prayer and contemplation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• meditation
• deliberation
• study
• introspection
• retrospection
• reflection
• daydreaming
• reverie
• muse
• trance
• pondering
• cogitation
• rumination
• musing
• woolgathering
• brown study
• navel-gazing

2

as in anticipation

the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence

in contemplation of their children's college expenses, they started saving early

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anticipation
• expectation
• expectancy
• expectance
• prospect
• apprehension
• dread
• alarm
• misgiving
• foreboding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contemplation

Its challenges require active engagement, not passive contemplation. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

Sterman, after much contemplation, decided to use natives but didn’t develop a detailed plan. — Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026

Their eyes evoke deep contemplation of the transience of life. — Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 11 June 2026

Bok envisioned the gardens as a place dedicated to beauty, contemplation, and inspiration—principles that still define the experience almost a century later. — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 11 June 2026