1
: capable of reflecting light, images, or sound waves
2
3
: of, relating to, or caused by reflection
reflective glare
4
5
: reflecting something : indicative
how fashion is reflective of society Glenda Bailey
reflectively adverb
reflectiveness noun

Did you know?

Reflective people are people who reflect on things--that is, look back at things that have been done or said in order to think calmly and quietly about them. Most reflective people would agree with Socrates that (as he told the jury that would soon sentence him to death) "The unexamined life is not worth living". Reflective people tend to be a bit philosophical and intellectual. But almost everyone has reflective moods; gazing into a fireplace or a campfire seems to do it to almost everyone.

Examples of reflective in a Sentence

the reflective glare of the shiny metal She was in a very reflective mood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Covering 80% of roof area on commercial buildings in the U.S. with solar reflective material would be the equivalent to turning off 34 coal power plants for one year. Rob Lewallen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025 The dining room on the floor below has deep red carpets, gold chairs, burl wood walls in a herringbone pattern and reflective metallic paint on the ceiling that intensifies the rotating 360 degree views. Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025 The unique, reflective quality of black powers other pieces in the show. Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2025 William, 42, sported the camouflage fatigues reflective of his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Merican Regiment, an Army unit involved there, to hear about how the soldiers are securing NATO's eastern flank as part of Operation Cabrit. Janine Henni, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reflective

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reflective was in 1627

Cite this Entry

“Reflective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reflective. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

reflective

adjective
1
: capable of reflecting light, images, or sound waves
2
: marked by reflection : thoughtful
3
: of, relating to, or caused by reflection
reflectively adverb
reflectiveness noun
reflectivity
ˌrē-ˌflek-ˈtiv-ət-ē
ri-
noun

Medical Definition

reflective

adjective
1
: capable of reflecting light, images, or sound waves
2
: of, relating to, or caused by reflection
reflective glare of the snow

More from Merriam-Webster on reflective

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!