Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Reflection has 9 different meanings across 1 category:
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
"After days of reflection on his mistakes, he finally decided to change his ways."
the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface
"When a laser beam hits a mirror, it undergoes reflection and bounces straight back into the room."
expression without words
"tears are an expression of grief"
"the pulse is a reflection of the heart's condition"
a likeness in which left and right are reversed
"The mirror showed a reflection where her heart was on the right side of her chest instead of the left."
the image of something as reflected by a mirror (or other reflective material)
"he studied his reflection in the mirror"
(mathematics) a transformation in which the direction of one axis is reversed
"In geometry class, we learned that reflection is a transformation where the direction of one axis is reversed to create a mirror image."
a remark expressing careful consideration
"After hearing the bad news, he offered his reflection on how to move forward."
the ability to reflect beams or rays
"The mirror's high reflection allows it to redirect sunlight onto the garden path."
The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
"The reflection in the still lake mirrored the surrounding mountains perfectly."
In plain English: Reflection is when light bounces off an object so you can see its image, like looking at yourself in a mirror.
"The reflection in the calm lake looked exactly like her."
Usage: Use reflection to describe both the image seen in a mirror and deep thought about an experience, though it often implies looking back on past events rather than immediate contemplation. Avoid confusing this noun with reflect as a verb; if you need a synonym for "deep thinking," consider meditation or consideration instead of using reflection interchangeably with those terms.
The word "reflection" comes from the Middle French reflexion and earlier Late Latin reflexio, which originally described the action of throwing back or bending something backward. It entered English as a noun form derived directly from the verb "reflect."