reflection

English

Alternative forms

• reflexion

Etymology

From Middle French reflexion, reflection, and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectere. The current spelling is influenced by reflect.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ɹɪˈflɛkʃ(ə)n/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

A water reflection - meanings 2 and 3

reflection (plural reflections)

1. The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. The property of a propagated wave being thrown back from a surface (such as a mirror).
3. Something, such as an image, that is reflected.

   The dog barked at his own reflection in the mirror.

4. Careful thought or consideration.

   After careful reflection, I have decided not to vote for that proposition.

5. An implied criticism.

   It is a reflection on his character that he never wavered in his resolve.

6. (computing) The process or mechanism of determining the capabilities of an object at run-time.

Derived terms

• reflectional
• self-reflection

Related terms

• reflect
• reflective
• reflector

Translations

act of reflecting; the state of being reflected

Arabic: انعكاس (ar) (in3ikaas) m. Chinese: Mandarin: 反射 (cmn) (fǎnshè), 反映 (cmn) (fǎnyìng) Czech: odraz (cs) m. French: réflexion (fr) f. German: Reflexion (de) f., Abbild (de) n. Greek: αντανάκλαση (el) (antanáklasi) f. Hebrew: השתקפות (he) ((hishtak'fut)) f. Italian: riflessione (it)

Japanese: 反射 (ja) (はんしゃ, hansha) Malagasy: fitarafana (mg) Portuguese: reflexão (pt) f. Romanian: reflectare (ro) f., reflecție (ro) f., reflexie (ro) f. Russian: отражение (ru) (otražénije) n. Scottish Gaelic: faileas (gd) m., sgàile (gd) f. Serbian: odbles m., odsjaj m., odblesak m., odraz m. Spanish: reflexión (es) f. Turkish: yansıma (tr)

property of a propagated wave

Turkish: yansıma (tr)

something that is reflected

Czech: odraz (cs) m. Esperanto: speguliĝo (eo) French: reflet (fr) m. German: reflexion (de) n. Italian: riflesso (it), riverbero (it) Lojban: ve minra

Malagasy: fitaratra (mg) Polish: odbicie (pl) n. Portuguese: reflexo (pt) m. Scottish Gaelic: faileas (gd) m., sgàile (gd) f. Turkish: yansıma (tr) Welsh: adlewyrchiad (cy) m.

careful thought or consideration

Czech: úvaha (cs) f., reflexe (cs) f. German: Abwägung (de) f. Malagasy: fieritreretana (mg)

Russian: размышление (ru) (razmyšlénije) n. Scottish Gaelic: smaoin (gd) f. Welsh: myfyrdod (cy) m.

an implied criticism

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

French: reflet (meanings 1, 2 and 3), réflexion (meaning 4)

Greek: αντανάκλαση (el) f. (1,2,3), είδωλο (el) n. (3), σκέψη (el) f. (4) Polish: odbicie n. Telugu: పరావర్తనము (paraavartanamu) Russian:[Русский] отражение

See also

• refraction
• diffraction