What does "meditation" mean?
A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation.
Meditation
/mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation.
- Grammar: meditation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a wise passiveness, absorbed attention, absorption, advisement.
- Useful contrasts: agitation, distraction, turbulence.
- Usage evidence: A sudden loud noise broke in on my meditation.
How to use "meditation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "meditation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "meditation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "meditation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "meditation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "meditation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a wise passiveness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "meditation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation. countable, uncountable
- 2 continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature wordnet
- 3 Any of various types of achieving more or less altered states of consciousness, such as vacancy of mind or prolonged contemplation on a single sensation or thought, through relaxed or focused mental and physical activity generally of a nonstrenuous and non–substance-induced nature. countable, uncountable
"Free-associating on paper is valuable—letting loose, as I described in the last chapter, and writing whatever you feel like writing, any way you want. It’s valuable when you’re learning to write to help you deal with fear, and it continues to be a useful technique for starting a piece of writing or moving beyond a point where you’re stuck. It’s a good way to develop characters and story by drawing on unconscious associations, free-associating about something (a process that used to be called meditation before meditation came to mean emptying your mind). […] Writing to communicate is a different matter. Professional writers, without exception so far as I know, consider unstructured, unedited free association to be at best only the first stage of writing. Not even Jack Kerouac wrote that way, although he tried to make it look as if he did."
- 4 (religion) contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects) wordnet
- 5 A contemplative discourse, often on a religious or philosophical subject. countable, uncountable
"Her book is less a cookbook than a meditation on the craft of cookery."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A musical theme treated in a meditative manner. countable, uncountable
- 7 Careful and thorough thought. countable, uncountable
"deep meditation"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A sudden loud noise broke in on my meditation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "meditation"?
Common synonyms include: a wise passiveness, absorbed attention, absorption, advisement, aid prayer, angelus.
How do you use "meditation" in a sentence?
A sudden loud noise broke in on my meditation.
How do you pronounce "meditation"?
Pronounced /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/.
Etymology
From Old French meditacion, from Latin meditatio, from meditatus, the past participle of meditārī (“to meditate, to think over, consider”), itself from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure, limit, consider, advise”).