1
as in meditations
long or deep thinking about spiritual matters
the decision to enter a monastery and to spend one's life in prayer and contemplation
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2
as in anticipations
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence
in contemplation of their children's college expenses, they started saving early
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Recent Examples of contemplations
Selzer’s contemplations bring together literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and ruminations.
—
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Internal memos between the justices in 2016 published by The New York Times have created a firestorm around an institution that takes extraordinary measures to keep its contemplations confidential.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Internal memos between the justices in 2016 published by The New York Times have created a firestorm around an institution that takes extraordinary measures to keep its contemplations confidential.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplations
Noun
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In Kurkov’s hands, his efforts offer both serious meditations and page-turning diversion.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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Science journalist Sabrina Imbler combines memoir and reportage in this insightful and far-reaching essay collection, using 10 ocean animals as a jumping-off point for personal meditations on health, community and survival.—
Tessa Yang,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Expectations of rate cuts at central banks like the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have fallen, and in many cases been replaced by anticipations of hawkish monetary policy, sending yields on some European bonds to multi-decade highs.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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For traders focused on specific events, having a strong grasp of historical trends can be beneficial, although the results are largely contingent on how the company’s outcomes measure up to market anticipations.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The deal set out expectations for the next phase of negotiations, which will confront more complex topics, including the fate of Iran's nuclear program.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
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Teammates believed Brown’s leadership enabled them to exceed expectations.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemplations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplations. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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