To contemplate means to think about something carefully and deeply, turning it over in your mind like examining an interesting object from different angles. When you contemplate a difficult decision, you consider all the possibilities, imagine what might happen, and really wrestle with what feels right. You give the matter sustained, deliberate attention rather than a passing thought.

The word suggests a particular kind of thinking, slower and more deliberate than everyday thoughts. You might contemplate which instrument to learn, thinking about how each one sounds, how much practice time you'd need, and which music excites you most. A scientist might contemplate the results of an experiment, trying to understand what they mean. When you stare out the window on a rainy afternoon, lost in thought about friendship or fairness or the future, that's contemplation.

Contemplation involves both thinking and feeling. You analyze facts while also noticing what matters to you, what worries you, or what excites you. When something deserves contemplation, it's worth your full, undivided, thoughtful attention.