reflective
Quietly thinking in a deep and serious way, often about your life or feelings.
Thinking deeply and seriously, often in a quiet, inward-looking way about oneself, past events, or big ideas.
Having a surface that sends light, heat, or sound back.
Having a surface that sends light, heat, or sound back instead of absorbing it.
Showing a quality, situation, or trend clearly.
Serving as a clear sign or indication of a particular quality, situation, or trend.
- Base: reflective
be reflective of [something]
1show or indicate something clearly
To clearly show a quality, situation, or trend, often in a formal or careful description.
- The data is reflective of wider national trends in housing.
- His angry reaction was reflective of his long-term stress at work.
- These comments are not reflective of the values of our school.
in a reflective mood
1feeling quietly deep and thoughtful
Feeling quiet and serious, and thinking deeply about your life, feelings, or past events.
- After the reunion, she was in a reflective mood all evening.
- Sitting by the sea put him in a reflective mood.
- The anniversary always leaves them in a reflective mood.
reflective practice
1regular self-review of one’s work
Regular, careful thinking about your own work or actions so you can understand them better and improve, especially in jobs like teaching, nursing, or social work.
- Reflective practice is a key part of professional development for teachers.
- The training course encouraged reflective practice through weekly journals.
- In nursing, reflective practice helps staff learn from difficult cases.