reflection
Pluralreflections
- 1An image or likeness thrown back from a surface such as a mirror or still water.
He caught his reflection in the polished blade and barely recognized himself.
Reflections of the city lights shimmered across the dark harbor.
Note
As a count noun it names a particular image: a dog barking at his own reflection, a face caught in a blade. As a mass noun it means any returned gleam at all. In Flames' "Jotun" (1997) uses it that way, describing a dark shape that gives back no gleam. Use the count form for a likeness and the mass form for shine.
- 2Careful thought or serious consideration given to a subject.
The decision came only after weeks of reflection.
Her essay offers deep reflection on the meaning of friendship.
Similarthought, contemplation, consideration, meditation, deliberation
Note
Thought turned inward takes two shapes in English. Uncountable, it is the deliberation that comes before a decision, as in "after careful reflection." In the plural it means a person's private musings. Georgette Heyer's The Unknown Ajax (1959) has Richmond "lose himself in his own reflections." The plural is the quieter, more literary form, and it suits drifting thought rather than a verdict.
- 3The throwing back of a wave, such as light or sound, when it strikes a surface like a mirror.
The reflection of light from the water's surface can cause harsh glare.
Engineers reduced reflection by coating the lens with a thin film.
Oppositeabsorption
- 4The bouncing back of light, sound, or other energy from a surface, or the condition of having been bounced back.
The smooth surface allowed clear reflection of the surrounding scenery.
Reflection of the laser beam was redirected by the angled mirror.
Similarmirroring
Note
The everyday noun behind every other use, and its spelling records a small shift. English took it from Middle French reflexion and Late Latin reflexio, and the -ct- came in later under the pull of the verb reflect. That is why the word now reads naturally as reflect + -ion. It works both as a count noun and as a mass noun.
- 5A sign or outcome that shows or expresses some underlying condition, trend, or quality.
Rising crime rates are often a reflection of deeper social problems.
His calm manner under pressure is a reflection of years of training.
Similarsign, indication, symptom, expression, result
Note
The preposition carries the meaning here. With of, the word is neutral or even proud: results that are "a reflection of the progress we've made." A name change can likewise be "a reflection of" how far a company has evolved. Swap in on and the sense tips toward blame, which is the critical use. Keep of when you mean evidence, not censure.
- 6A statement or circumstance that brings discredit or implies criticism of someone or something.
The scandal was a serious reflection on the company's leadership.
Your honest mistake is no reflection on your character.
Similarslur, slight, aspersion, criticism, discredit
Oppositecredit, compliment
Note
Here the word always takes on, and that preposition turns it into reproach. The sense branches from the "manifestation" meaning: whatever reveals a trait can reveal a flaw. It is very often negated. "No reflection on" is the polite formula for saying a mistake does not discredit someone, a way of disclaiming criticism before it lands.
- 7A program's ability to examine and modify its own structure and behavior while it is running.
The framework relies on reflection to discover and instantiate classes at run-time.
Using reflection, the library inspects each object's methods before calling them.
Similarintrospection
Note
Programmers use the word for code that examines itself. A program can ask an object what types, methods and attributes it has while the program runs, and some languages also allow changes. It usually appears as a modifier, as in "reflection API." Java Enterprise Best Practices (2002) describes using Java's reflection API to introspect a managed resource. "Introspect" is the verb that usually travels with it.
- 8A folding back of a part, such as a membrane, upon itself; a fold.
The peritoneal reflection marks where the lining turns back onto the bladder.
Surgeons identify each reflection of the membrane before making an incision.
Similarfold
Note
Anatomists use the word for the line where a membrane turns back on itself. A typical case is the peritoneum folding from the body wall onto the organs beneath it. It is a count noun naming a place, so a surgeon speaks of "the peritoneal reflection" as a landmark. Nothing here involves light; the image is of a sheet doubling back.
Practice
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Origin
From Middle French reflexion (also spelled reflection) and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectō. The modern spelling was influenced by the word reflect, making it equivalent to reflect plus -ion.