meditation

noun

med·​i·​ta·​tion ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce meditation (audio)
Synonyms of meditationnext
1
: a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation
2
: the act or process of meditating
… the meditation out of which this novel has come.—Granville Hicks

Synonyms of meditation

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Examples of meditation in a Sentence

She spent the morning in meditation. Daily meditation helps clear his mind.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Perfect Road, a documentary from Danish directors and cousins Adam and Christian Bonke, follows him on an extreme journey through some of Europe’s highest mountain passes, while also providing a meditation on modern life and character study. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026 Many longtime residents have developed habits to calm their minds during these exceptional conditions — meditation, a dip in the ocean to trigger the calming mammalian dive response, support groups to talk through the pain. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 The gestures of moving, being, and breathing coalesced for Kristin as this poem, which emerged from the state of presence that is meditation-in-action. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 From there Bryan launches into an aching meditation on the water-rush of time with this building, inspired by his new Manhattan home, at the center. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meditation

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meditation was in the 13th century

Rhymes for meditation

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Browse Nearby Words

meditatingly
meditation
meditative
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Cite this Entry

“Meditation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

meditation

noun
med·​i·​ta·​tion ˌmed-ə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce meditation (audio)
: the act or an instance of meditating

More from Merriam-Webster on meditation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meditation

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