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REFLECTIVE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Devoted to matters of the mind
Example:
the reflective type
Classified under:
Similar:
intellectual (appealing to or using the intellect)
Derivation:
reflect (reflect deeply on a subject)
reflectivity (the capability of quiet thought or contemplation)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Capable of physically reflecting light or sound
Example:
a reflective surface
Classified under:
Similar:
mirrorlike; specular (capable of reflecting light like a mirror)
reflecting (causing reflection or having a device that reflects)
Antonym:
nonreflective (not capable of physical reflection)
Derivation:
reflect (be bright by reflecting or casting light)
reflectivity (the ability to reflect beams or rays)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Deeply or seriously thoughtful
Example:
Byron lives on not only in his poetry, but also in his creation of the 'Byronic hero' - the persona of a brooding melancholy young man
Synonyms:
brooding; broody; contemplative; meditative; musing; pensive; pondering; reflective; ruminative
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
thoughtful (exhibiting or characterized by careful thought)
Derivation:
reflect (reflect deeply on a subject)
reflectivity (the capability of quiet thought or contemplation)
Context examples:
Now, scientists have a better sense of how these reflective areas formed and changed over time — processes indicative of an active, evolving world.
(Bright Areas on Ceres Suggest Geologic Activity, NASA)
Or you may have invited in the painters, repairmen, or an architect to make changes to your home to be more reflective of the true you.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
It collected data that not only picked up the reflective properties we'd expect from ice, but was able to directly measure the distinctive way its molecules absorb infrared light, so it can differentiate between liquid water or vapor and solid ice.
(Ice Confirmed at the Moon's Poles, NASA)
East of the center is a collection of slightly less reflective and more diffuse features called Vinalia Faculae.
(Bright Areas on Ceres Suggest Geologic Activity, NASA)
A child born with Mercury retrograde tends to grow up to be more reflective and philosophical than others, so it can be an asset.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
