as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
she doesn't seem to see the difference between a reasonable amount of self-contemplation and total self-absorption
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Recent Examples of self-contemplation
After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.
—
Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.
—Florence Tsai, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023
Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.
—Florence Tsai, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-contemplation
Noun
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Philosophy is a practice of wonder and logic; curiosity and introspection; dialectic and meditation; criticism and advocacy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
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Like its predecessors, the album incorporates Ant’s sticky signature beats on production and Daley’s clever rhymes, leading listeners through a world full of literary devices that drive introspection and sometimes the everyday insecurity of existence.—
Charlie Vargas,
Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Eid al-Fitr is a joyous time of renewal spent with friends and family after the month of spiritual cleansing, self-restraint and contemplation.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
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For your contemplation, consider the following charts.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are three invitations leaders can offer their direct reports: Play with the technology as a tool for self-observation.—
Michael Hudson,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes,
7 Oct. 2024
Noun
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This short is uniquely brilliant in its ability to balance laugh-out-loud levity with the emotional pain of honest self-reflection.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
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And, for that matter, that Rahman has undergone the necessary self-reflection and growth during his years in the political wilderness to truly become a leader for his people.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In an era where analytics and ever-growing coaching staffs allow teams to self-scout every week, the Patriots seem to have taken a more traditional approach and decided on a makeover after a self-examination last month during their bye.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
17 Jan. 2026
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Some time spent in self-examination could yield new insights.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And for all the soul-searching and probing, Conrad is well aware that kink can lead to comedy—up to a point.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
22 Jan. 2026
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There is no way to tackle these questions without deep reflection and a great deal of soul-searching.—
Kenneth Seeskin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-contemplation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-contemplation. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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