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
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemplation
Also, of course, I am handicapped by knowing that this couldn’t be printed in the foreseeable future, and by the fact that contemplation of this material has become painful.
—
Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The exhibitions, abstract by design, are an invitation to contemplation.
—Diana Hubbell, Saveur, 16 Oct. 2025
The latest exhibit at Marquette's free Haggerty Museum of Art combines abstract pieces and spiritual contemplation.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
This is coming after a period of rest, contemplation, and confusion about where your life is headed.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The exhibitions, abstract by design, are an invitation to contemplation.
—Diana Hubbell, Saveur, 16 Oct. 2025
The latest exhibit at Marquette's free Haggerty Museum of Art combines abstract pieces and spiritual contemplation.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
This is coming after a period of rest, contemplation, and confusion about where your life is headed.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplation
Noun
-
Past efforts include creating a meditation garden at Lotus House and establishing the Beehive Module at the Miami Museum of Science.—
CHRISTINA MAYO,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Do stretches, deep breathing, meditation or anything that engages your physical body and instills calm.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The anticipation is he will be brought in by the police before next week’s hearing.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
-
With 100 days to go until the opening ceremony, anticipation is building for the Winter Olympic Games, set to span the Northern Italian cities of Milan and Cortina from February 6–22, 2026.—
Nick Remsen,
Vogue,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Still, the new mom doesn’t think the expectation of hosting is fair given the circumstances.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In July, the company reported a 39% rise in sales, beating Wall Street expectations of 34%.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemplation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplation. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share