Contemplate
verbTo think about something carefully and at length, often before making a decision.
How to spell contemplate
11 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce contemplate
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does contemplate mean?
- verbTo think about something carefully and at length, often before making a decision.
Contemplate in a sentence
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She paused to contemplate the job offer before replying.
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They began to contemplate moving abroad once the children left home.
Where does contemplate come from?
Language of origin: Latin
The word comes from the Latin verb contemplari, meaning 'to gaze at attentively' or 'to observe closely'. It was built from the intensifying prefix con- (thoroughly) and templum, which originally named a space marked out by an augur in the sky or on the ground for watching omens; the same templum gives us the modern 'temple'. To contemplate something was therefore, quite literally, to study it as carefully as a priest watching for signs. English took the word in during the late 1500s, by which time the sense had broadened from religious observation to any thoughtful, sustained consideration. The middle of the word still carries that hidden templ root, which is a useful reminder that it is spelled with 'templ', not 'temp'.
How the word is built
- con- (intensive: thoroughly)
- templ (from templum: a space marked out for observation)
- -ate (verb suffix)
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