reflection
noun
re·flec·tion
| \ ri-ˈflek-shən
\
\
Definition of reflection
2
: the production of an image by or as if by a mirror
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
9a
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from reflection
reflectional
\ ri-ˈflek-shnəl
, -shə-nᵊl \
adjective
, -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
But The Australian Dream is both timely and universal in its reflection on racist attitudes too often considered innocuous by those not on the receiving end, and in its depiction of shameful disregard for the dignity of First Nation populations. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Australian Dream': Film Review | Telluride 2019," 30 Aug. 2019 Dominating a wall of the atrium is a stunning fresco of the hunter Narcissus leaning languidly on a block of stone while contemplating his reflection in a pool of water. — Chiara Goia, Smithsonian, "The New Treasures of Pompeii," 21 Aug. 2019 Yet, for all of their success, most of them cannot look at N.B.A. leadership and see their own reflections. — Kurt Streeter, New York Times, "Is Slavery’s Legacy in the Power Dynamics of Sports?," 16 Aug. 2019 The vigil was organized by a group of San Diegans who saw their reflections in the city of El Paso, a border town with a large Latino community. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Vigil for victims of El Paso shooting honors lives lost, denounces hate," 11 Aug. 2019 Hammond’s book, a collaboration with photographer Mike Tinney, is a series of portraits of the pencils of famous designers, and their reflections on using pencils. — Cindy Dampier, chicagotribune.com, "Not just for bubbling in: Pencils are cool again — here’s how to get the best ones for back-to-school and beyond," 9 Aug. 2019 So were the visibly vain, checking their reflection in a store window, smoothing their hair or straightening their clothes. — Paula Allen, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio’s ‘sidewalk photographers’ captured Houston Street life," 27 July 2019 Some argue that what seems like a policy shift now is partly just a reflection of the banks’ improved health, which makes their case for growth easier to approve. — Michelle F. Davis, latimes.com, "Trump removed Wall Street’s secret shackles. Now banks are prowling for deals," 11 July 2019 Visitors will spend some time looking at their altered reflections in Anish Kapoor’s 1999, hyper-blue, stainless steel wall sculpture. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Know, "Commentary: Denver Art Museum has turned into Denver’s living room," 7 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reflection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for reflection
reflection
noun
English Language Learners Definition of reflection
: an image that is seen in a mirror or on a shiny surface
: something that shows the effect, existence, or character of something else
: something that causes people to disapprove of a person or thing
See the full definition for reflection in the English Language Learners Dictionary
reflection
noun
re·flec·tion
| \ ri-ˈflek-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of reflection
1
: the return of light or sound waves from a surface
2
: an image produced by or as if by a mirror
3
: something that brings blame or disgrace
It's a reflection on my honesty.
4
: careful thought
After much reflection, I agreed.
5
: an opinion formed or a remark made after careful thought
reflection
noun
re·flec·tion
variants:
also British reflexion \ ri-ˈflek-shən
\
\
Medical Definition of reflection
2
: the production of an image by or as if by a mirror
3a