What does meditation mean?
Word: Meditation
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Meditation means the practice of sitting quietly and focusing the mind, often on the breath, to become calm; also deep, serious thought about something.
Synonyms: reflection, dhyana
How do you spell meditation?
Syllables: med - i - ta - tion
Tricky part: The vowel after d is i, not e, and both t's are single. Students sometimes add an extra syllable (mediatation).
Watch out for: medetation, mediatation, meditaition
Memory tip: The word edit is hiding inside: m-EDIT-ation. Find edit and the tricky i is already in place.
Meditation in a sentence
Example 1: Our yoga teacher ends every class with five minutes of meditation.
Example 2: The monk sat in meditation under the bodhi tree.
Example 3: After a long meditation on the problem, she found a simple answer.
Fun Fact
The Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana, became Chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese as the practice travelled east.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to meditation as used in the sentence:
Ten minutes of meditation before the exam helped Tanvi stay calm.
a) contemplation
b) agitation
c) recitation
d) celebration
Show answer
a) contemplation. Contemplation means quiet, deep thought, which is what meditation is; agitation is the opposite.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. serenety 2. meditation 3. inhaile 4. postur
a) to breathe in
b) the way a person holds their body
c) a state of calm and peace
d) the practice of quietly focusing the mind to become calm
Show answer
d) the practice of quietly focusing the mind to become calm. Inhale has no i, serenity has an i after the n, and posture ends in ure; only meditation is spelt properly.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Our yoga camp began each day with half an hour of ntaiotdmie on the riverbank.
a) mediation
b) meditation
c) dedication
d) medication
Show answer
b) meditation. Mediation is one t short, medication needs a c, and dedication needs a second d and a c.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Before the big match, the coach asked every player to sit for a few minutes of meditation and then practise their brething slowly.
a) coach
b) practise
c) brething
d) meditation
Show answer
c) brething. Breathing comes from breathe, so it keeps the ea; the other three words are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. International Day of Yoga, when many people practise meditation, is held on ____.
a) 21 June
b) 14 November
c) 2 October
d) 26 January
Show answer
a) 21 June
2. If you are in deep meditation on a problem, you are ____.
a) writing it down very quickly
b) trying hard to forget it
c) turning it over in your mind
d) asking others to solve it
Show answer
c) turning it over in your mind
