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contemplate

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒntɛmpleɪt, -təm-/
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Definition of contemplate

verb

[with object]
  • look thoughtfully for a long time at:he contemplated his image in the mirrors
  • think about:she couldn’t even begin to contemplate the future
  • [no object] think deeply and at length: he sat morosely contemplating
  • have in view as a probable intention:he was contemplating action for damages

Derivatives

contemplator

noun

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin contemplat- 'surveyed, observed, contemplated', from the verb contemplari, based on templum 'place for observation'

contemplate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of contemplate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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