First Known Use: 1560
Dictionary
meditate
verb med·i·tate \ˈme-də-ˌtāt\
: to spend time in quiet thought for religious purposes or relaxation
med·i·tat·edmed·i·tat·ing
Full Definition of MEDITATE
intransitive verb
1
: to engage in contemplation or reflection
2
: to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness
transitive verb
1
: to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over
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Origin of MEDITATE
Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri to remedy — more at medical
Related to MEDITATE
- Synonyms
- chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, ponder, mull (over), perpend, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with)
Synonym Discussion of MEDITATE
ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately. ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter <pondered the course of action>. meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply <meditated on the meaning of life>. muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance <mused upon childhood joys>. ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption <ruminated on past disappointments>.
Rhymes with MEDITATE
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MEDITATING Defined for Kids
meditate
verb med·i·tate \ˈme-də-ˌtāt\
med·i·tat·edmed·i·tat·ing
Definition of MEDITATE for Kids
1
: to consider carefully : plan <Here I meditated nothing but my escape … — Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe>
2
: to spend time in quiet thinking : reflect
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