Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Disposed to or characterized by contemplation. synonym: pensive.
- noun A person given to contemplation.
- noun A member of a religious order that emphasizes meditation.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Given to or characterized by contemplation or continued and absorbed reflection; employed in reflection or study; reflective; meditative; thoughtful: as, a contemplative mind.
- Marked by contemplation; manifesting reflection or a studious habit.
- Relating or pertaining to contemplation or thought, as distinguished from action: as, contemplative philosophy; the contemplative faculty (that is, the faculty of cognition).
- noun One given to contemplation or deep thought, especially on religious subjects; a recluse; a hermit.
- noun Eccles., a friar of the order of Mary Magdalene.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (R. C. Ch.) A religious or either sex devoted to prayer and meditation, rather than to active works of charity.
- adjective Pertaining to contemplation; addicted to, or employed in, contemplation; meditative.
- adjective Having the power of contemplation.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Pertaining to one who
contemplates or is introspective and thoughtful. - adjective Pertaining especially to a contemplative Roman Catholic
religious or one of the contemplative Roman Catholic religious orders. - noun Someone who has dedicated themselves to
religious contemplation.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective deeply or seriously thoughtful
- noun a person devoted to the contemplative life
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He stared out at the dust and mist blowing across the canyon, his expression contemplative, his mouth like a surgical wound.
Rain Gods James Lee Burke 2009
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He stared out at the dust and mist blowing across the canyon, his expression contemplative, his mouth like a surgical wound.
Rain Gods James Lee Burke 2009
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His eyes were as black as a midnight ocean, his expression contemplative.
hush, hush Becca Fitzpatrick 2009
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His eyes were as black as a midnight ocean, his expression contemplative.
hush, hush Becca Fitzpatrick 2009
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His eyes were as black as a midnight ocean, his expression contemplative.
hush, hush Becca Fitzpatrick 2009
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He stared out at the dust and mist blowing across the canyon, his expression contemplative, his mouth like a surgical wound.
Rain Gods James Lee Burke 2009
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His eyes were as black as a midnight ocean, his expression contemplative.
hush, hush Becca Fitzpatrick 2009
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McClure offers her reflections in contemplative, honest language, revealing her meaningful road to self-discovery.
A Pearl in the Storm: Summary and book reviews of A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure. 2009
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The answer is probably an individual thing, though Carr suggests spending more time in contemplative mode than in online mode.
Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » The Internet, Your Brain, Your Writerly Self 2010
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It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood.
pqnga commented on the word contemplative
Principles to Remember
Do:
* First, do the contemplative work to develop a personal answer to the question
* Understand what the interviewer is trying to gather from your response
* Shorten the timeframe of the question so you can give a more specific and reasonable reply
Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2011/03/where-will-you-be-in-five-year.html
March 22, 2011