as in thoughtful
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a contemplative person who likes to go on solitary walks the contemplative life of the monks at the abbey
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemplative
Kirk's expression in the painting is serious and contemplative, and Ryan incorporated prominent reds, blacks, whites and blues, evoking patriotic themes.
—
Andrea Margolis , Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
This emptying-out trajectory may be familiar to anyone who's read accounts of contemplative mystical experiences.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The film had transformed from the messy, illogical version I’d first seen into a hilarious, shrewd, contemplative work of art.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
The kinds of tools people need to navigate this century are forged through creative, contemplative work, and yet fewer and fewer are able to afford the time and space to read.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplative
Andrea Margolis , Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
This emptying-out trajectory may be familiar to anyone who's read accounts of contemplative mystical experiences.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The film had transformed from the messy, illogical version I’d first seen into a hilarious, shrewd, contemplative work of art.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
The kinds of tools people need to navigate this century are forged through creative, contemplative work, and yet fewer and fewer are able to afford the time and space to read.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplative
Adjective
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Some parents carefully vetted and chose thoughtful names to add to the birth certificate, while others undoubtedly may have selected them on a whim or as a result of losing a bet.—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Soft, breathable materials and thoughtful construction have made the silhouette way more wearable, offering a happy medium between your comfiest sneakers and your dressiest pumps.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Johnson, Evans and Pascal – and while certainly thoughtful, the film's strengths are upended by a mood-murdering melancholy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The day of the hearing, Vande Kolk climbed into his truck and headed home, feeling melancholy.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The mesh uppers are secure but not snug, and the reflective details come in handy for early morning or evening runs.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Brent Weinstein’s trip to London did not go unnoticed in the UK agenting world and was reflective of where the industry finds itself as 2026 kicks off.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Those years brought a new swath of fans to Gunn’s meditative folk and rock sounds, showcased on low-key masterpieces like 2019’s The Unseen In Between.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
5 Nov. 2025
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Curate slow and meditative starts to the day during this season that support a regulated nervous system instead.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Despite this, one of the more poignant bronzes her mother made at this time is of Flora, seated quietly in an armchair, the curve of her body and downcast expression manifesting her pensive mood.—
Fiona Donovan,
Vanity Fair,
30 Dec. 2025
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There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Many white-collar workers will likely face a philosophical reckoning about what AI means for their profession—one that goes beyond fears of layoffs.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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For Atlanta, the trade signals a full philosophical reset centered on developing rising talent like Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and rookie Zaccharie Risacher.—
Sam Crenshaw,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemplative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplative. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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