English 'meditation' descends from Latin 'meditātiō' (thinking over, rehearsal), from 'meditārī' (to contemplate, to practise), ultimately from PIE *med- (to measure) — linking the act of contemplation to the idea of measured, deliberate thought.
The practice of focused contemplation or mental exercise, often for spiritual, therapeutic, or cognitive purposes.
From Old French 'meditacion' (contemplation, spiritual reflection), from Latin 'meditātiōnem' (accusative of 'meditātiō'), meaning a thinking-over, contemplation, mental rehearsal, from the verb 'meditārī' (to think over carefully, to reflect, to contemplate; also to practise, to rehearse mentally before performance). The Latin verb belongs to a family built on PIE *med- (to measure, to take appropriate measures, to give considered attention to something). This root also underlies Latin 'medicus' (a physician — one who takes
Latin 'meditārī' originally meant 'to rehearse' as much as 'to contemplate.' Roman soldiers would 'meditate' their sword drills — the same verb used for spiritual contemplation described military practice. The modern English restriction to quiet contemplation is a narrowing that occurred largely under Christian monastic influence.