English

Adjective

ruminative ‎(comparative more ruminative, superlative most ruminative)

1. Causing rumination or prone to it; thoughtful.
   • 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 5, in The Beautiful and Damned:

     They waited expectantly while he directed a ruminative yawn toward the white smiling moon.

   • 1864, Charles Dickens, chapter 12, in Our Mutual Friend:

     ‘It happened,’ returned the man, with a ruminative air, as he drew his right hand across his chin, and dipped the other in the pocket of his rough outer coat, ‘it happened somewhere about here as I reckon. I don’t think it can have been a mile from here.’

   • 1970, Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander:

     The ruminative 'cello uttered two phrases of its own and then began a dialogue with the viola.

   • 2010, Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, page 1:

     I found that the chore of reorganizing the artifacts of my professional life was pleasantly ruminative. It had a tonic effect, because it allowed me to reflect on the changes in my views over the years.

Synonyms

• meditative