Reflective Meaning
/ɹɪˈflɛktɪv/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjThat reflects, or redirects back to the source.
adjPondering, especially thinking back on the past.
Sentence Examples
Wear your reflective tape so you can be seen.
Tom was wearing a reflective vest.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
A ____ surface like a mirror can help you see your face clearly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was in a ____ mood on the anniversary of her father's death, thinking about his life.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English reflect Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English reflective From reflect + -ive.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The structure's exterior is clad in aluminum-oxidized pine, which gives it a reflective quality that complements the galvanized-steel roof."
— 2026 May 26, Julie Belcove, “Farm Fresh”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 93:
"Type 1 processes are effortless recognition of objects or situations as of a type that have been encountered previously. In an osteological context, an example would be recognition of a bone as a femur or a humerus. Type 2 processes are slower, reflective and effortful. The application of specific procedural approaches in order to arrive at conclusions based on evidence, such as hypothesis testing in science, are Type 2 processes."
— 2023, Simon Mays, “The Macroscopic Study of Human Skeletal Paleopathology” (chapter 2), in The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology, Routledge, →DOI, →ISBN, page 25:
"Both brides and grooms in native Hawaiian tradition wear flower garlands as a physical manifestation of their love for one another, and to some, the twining of the stems is reflective of two families now becoming one. A more tourist-friendly version established in the past couple of decades involves winding the leis around the couple’s hands to bind them together."
— 2013 August 30, Kat Kinsman, “Something borrowed: Wedding traditions from around the world”, in CNN:
"In any event, the incident, and the media attention it attracted, highlights the sensitivity of language politics in Singapore and is reflective of the fact that this sensitivity extends to campus life."
— 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 3:
"In JIT compilation, the running program is reflectively modified by an embedded compiler, which only uses two reflective operations […]"
— 2024, Egon Börger, Vincenzo Gervasi, Structures of Computing: A Guide to Practice-Oriented Theory, page 108:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A ____ surface like a mirror can help you see your face clearly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was in a ____ mood on the anniversary of her father's death, thinking about his life.