meditate

verb

med·​i·​tate ˈme-də-ˌtāt How to pronounce meditate (audio)
meditated; meditating

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in contemplation or reflection
He meditated long and hard before announcing his decision.
2
: to engage in mental exercise (such 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
He was meditating his past achievements.
2
: to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose
He was meditating revenge.
meditator noun
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of meditate in a Sentence

He meditates for an hour every morning. I've been meditating a career change for months.
Recent Examples on the Web Jewish people may spend the day fasting or attending synagogues, where congregations pray and meditate. Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024 Visitors often meditate here, seeking both reflection and inspiration in the balanced energies of the canyon. Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 The mornings are the ideal time to meditate, minds are not yet racing or cluttered with the days tasks and interaction. Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024 Focus on what nourishes you: exercise, meditate, stay off social media when needed, and remove toxic situations and people from your life. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meditate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meditate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri to remedy — more at medical

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meditate was in 1560

Dictionary Entries Near meditate

Cite this Entry

“Meditate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

meditate

verb
med·​i·​tate ˈmed-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce meditate (audio)
meditated; meditating
1
a
: to consider or think over carefully : contemplate
b
: to spend time in quiet thinking : reflect
2
: intend, plan
meditate a trip abroad

More from Merriam-Webster on meditate

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