Meaning of reflection in English

reflection

noun

/rɪˈflek.ʃən/ us

/rɪˈflek.ʃən/

reflection noun (IMAGE)

Add to word list Add to word list

B2 [ C or U ]

the image of something in a mirror or on any reflective surface:

In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.

He put silver foil around the fire to increase heat reflection.

More examplesFewer examples

She was looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She could see her reflection in the water, shimmering in the moonlight.
She checked her reflection in the mirror.
She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror on the door.
He smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Physics: optics, microscopy & lasers

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Physical & chemical processes

reflection noun (SENDING BACK)

[ U ] physics specialized

the return of light, heat, sound, or energy from a surface:

He put silver foil around the fire to increase heat reflection.

angle of reflection

the angle that a beam of light or other energy that is reflected from a surface makes with a line vertical to that surface:

This is only visible at certain angles of reflection.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Physical & chemical processes

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Physics: optics, microscopy & lasers

reflection noun (SIGN)

C1 [ C usually singular ]

a sign or result of something:

The fact that soldiers are on the streets is a reflection of how terrified the government is.

More examplesFewer examples

The film is a reflection of the violence that pervades American culture.
Her novel is an accurate reflection of life in post-war Spain.
I don't believe these exam results are a true reflection of your abilities.
His poor job performance is a reflection of his lack of training.
The grief after her death was a reflection of the great love that people felt for her.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Showing and demonstrating

See more results »

reflection noun (THOUGHT)

C2 [ C or U ] formal

serious and careful thought:

On reflection (= after considering it), I decided I had been wrong.

After 30 years as a judge, her reflections on/about justice were well worth listening to.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Thinking and contemplating

See more results »

a reflection on someone/something

something that makes other people have a particular opinion about someone or something, especially a bad opinion:

Low test scores are a sad reflection on our school system.

(Definition of reflection from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

reflection | American Dictionary

reflection

noun

/rɪˈflek·ʃən/

reflection noun (SHOW)

Add to word list Add to word list

[ C ]

something that shows, expresses, or is a sign of something:

Their finely decorated home is a reflection of their good taste.

The team’s losses of late seem to be a reflection on the coaching.

reflection noun (SEND BACK)

[ C/U ] physics

the return of light, heat, sound, or energy from a surface

[ C/U ]

A reflection is also an image seen in a mirror or other shiny surface:

Standing on the dock, we could see the reflection of the sky in the still water.

angle of reflection physics

The angle of reflection is the angle that a beam of light or other energy that is reflected from a surface makes with a line vertical to that surface.

reflection noun (THINKING)

[ C/U ]

careful thoughts:

[ C ] Her reflections on life are recorded in her journal.

[ U ] After much reflection, he decided to return to teaching.

(Definition of reflection from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of reflection

reflection

Aging and identity : some reflections on the somatization of the self.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

There are some excellent observations and intelligent reflections on very complex and weighty questions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The commentaries present contrasting reflections on our paper.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Demystifying borderline personality: critique of the concept and unorthodox reflections on its natural kinship with the bipolar spectrum.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, unless careful preliminary investigations are made, weak reflections, perhaps indicative of cation ordering as in rose muscovite and ephesite, may be missed.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In this way, reflections from the floor are avoided and the same gain table can be applied independently of the transducer's working frequency.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Public policies are not simple reflections of coherently applied abstract norms.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

No layer lines or row lines are developed and off-meridional reflections cannot be distinguished with any certainty.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The book concludes with methodological reflections and directions for further sociolinguistic research.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Indigenous peoples resist definitions made by states and many consider attempts to define them as reflections of colonialism.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

I should indeed have liked to discuss the dictionaries as reflections of a cultural standpoint, but that would be an article in itself.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Until now, therapy radiographers have not necessarily documented professional reflections.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

His very thoroughness prompts reflections of what still remains hazy, either through poor documentation or lack of scholarly interest.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Modeling of reflections and air absorption in acoustical spaces - a digital filter design approach.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

His work has an enviable coherence, made even more apparent by his reflections on the previously published essays of this new collection.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of reflection

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with reflection

reflection

These are words often used in combination with reflection.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

accurate reflection

Like other recently published books of its type, this text is an accurate reflection of current understanding and practice in relation to dementia care.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

critical reflection

So ethics should be seen as part of the tradition of 'critical reflection on practice' which most health care professionals currently engage in.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

direct reflection

This shift in the peak of the d function, however, is simply a direct reflection of the shift in the conventional identification function.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with reflection

What is the pronunciation of reflection?