reflection

noun

re·​flec·​tion ri-ˈflek-shən How to pronounce reflection (audio)
1
: an instance of reflecting
especially : the return of light or sound waves from a surface
2
: the production of an image by or as if by a mirror
3
a
: the action of bending or folding back
b
: a reflected part : fold
4
: something produced by reflecting: such as
a
: an image given back by a reflecting surface
b
: an effect produced by an influence
the high crime rate is a reflection of our violent society
5
: an often obscure or indirect criticism : reproach
a reflection on his character
6
: a thought, idea, or opinion formed or a remark made as a result of meditation
7
: consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose
8
obsolete : turning back : return
9
a
: a transformation of a figure in which each point is replaced by a point symmetric with respect to a line or plane
b
: a transformation that involves reflection in more than one axis of a rectangular coordinate system
reflectional
ri-ˈflek-shnəl How to pronounce reflection (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of reflection in a Sentence

She was looking at her reflection in the mirror. He saw the reflections of the clouds on the lake.
Recent Examples on the Web Overall, Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted — and the completion of the paint job is one of several milestones, happy and sad, to occur in the film — is good for a few laughs, possibly some tears and a level of reflection that is at least adjacent to profundity. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The songs Crutchfield wrote after her retreat from touring seemed to resonate with listeners thrown into solitary reflection by the pandemic; her conclusion seemed to be that hope was worth fighting for. Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024 The law does not require proof of actual reflection. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 At the same time, her work comes off as polished, more of a personal reflection on the surrounding environment than an angry social statement. Ray Mark Rinaldi, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Many of us are faced with our reflections all day, every day — something new and very specific to a population that carries pretty serious photography equipment in their pockets and purses. Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024 Topps, a childhood cult survivor who counts her time on the show as an important step forward in her personal mental health journey, says that bathroom breaks provided a rare opportunity for reflection. Rachel Pick, SELF, 6 Mar. 2024 But Gonzalez said that the result was more a reflection of the team’s mentality rather than its strategy. Harold Gutmann, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The Climate Reality Check is a simple, illuminating, and powerful tool that can be used to evaluate any group of narratives — from films and TV shows to video games and novels—for their reflection of our climate reality. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reflection.' 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

Middle English, alteration of reflexion, from Late Latin reflexion-, reflexio act of bending back, from Latin reflectere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reflection was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near reflection

Cite this Entry

“Reflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reflection. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reflection

noun
re·​flec·​tion ri-ˈflek-shən How to pronounce reflection (audio)
1
: an instance of reflecting
especially : the return of light or sound waves from a surface
2
: the production of an image by or as if by a mirror
3
: an image produced by or as if by a mirror
4
: something that brings blame or disgrace
a reflection on my honesty
5
: an opinion formed or a remark made after careful thought
6
: careful thought
much reflection on the problem
reflectional
-shnəl How to pronounce reflection (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

reflection

noun
re·​flec·​tion
variants also British reflexion
1
: an instance of reflecting
especially : the return of light or sound waves from a surface
2
: the production of an image by or as if by a mirror
3
a
: the action of bending or folding back
b
: a reflected part or a fold
the mesentery is a reflection of the peritoneum
4
: something produced by reflecting
especially : an image given back by a reflecting surface

More from Merriam-Webster on reflection

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