meditation

noun

med·​i·​ta·​tion ˌme-də-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce meditation (audio)
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 comeGranville Hicks

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.
Schrecker’s No Ivory Tower is a granular account of the effect that the Red Scare had on American universities, as well as a broader meditation on the nature and history of academic freedom. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 21 July 2025 Beyond supplements, complementary methods like meditation, yoga, and acupuncture have been shown to enhance sleep quality. Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025 Director Iván Sierra frames it as a meditation on how fear of losing happiness breeds violence – and how true peace lies in confronting inner fears. Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 July 2025 Despite starting off with a short story set in 1963, this is a contemporary meditation on the discovery of self, memory and kinship by an emerging voice in Kenyan fiction. Wanjeri Gakuru july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Meditation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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

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