rumination

[ roo-muh-ney-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of pondering or musing on something:

   Understanding little of what was happening, I was semiconsciously storing away experiences, impressions, and ideas for later rumination.

2. something written or spoken that expresses such pondering or musing:

   Her blog posts contain notes of spirituality, ruminations on the meaning of experience, and glimpses of her multifaceted life.

3. Psychology. excessive, repetitive thinking focused on the same, usually negative, idea or theme: characteristic of some obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders.
4. the act or process of chewing the cud, as cows, deer, and some other animals do:

   Rumination helps cows efficiently turn grass, corn, and other feed into nutrient-dense milk.

Other Words From

• non·ru·mi·na·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rumination¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin stem of rūminātiō “a chewing of the cud,” equivalent to rūmināt(us) “chewed over again” (stem of rūmināre; ruminate ( def ) ) + -iō -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

That was followed by Alpha Male diatribes on book banning, the Black “Little Mermaid,” Trump’s mug shot, ruminations on Hunter Biden’s laptop and swipes at President Biden, whom he calls “Papa Long Hugs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Poetic ruminations on imprisonment in a foreign land and yearning for a home that may no longer exist are supported by Wally Badarou and Dean Blunt’s entrancing synth score.

From Los Angeles Times

Black women who were more frequently exposed to racism showed stronger connections in brain networks involved with rumination and vigilance.

From Salon

The researchers also found that these changes are associated with rumination, a part of the diagnostic criteria for conditions affecting mental health, such as depression and anxiety.

From Science Daily

They collect a stream of data, such as a cow’s temperature, its milk quality, and the progress of its digestion — or, rather, rumination — within its four-chambered stomach.

From Salon

Related Words

• meditation
• reflection

More About Rumination

What does rumination mean?

Rumination is the process of carefully thinking something over, pondering it, or meditating on it.

In psychology, the term refers to obsessive repetition of thoughts or excessively thinking about problems. Rumination can also refer to the process of chewing over and over again, as is done by ruminant animals, like cows.

Rumination is the noun form of the verb ruminate, which can mean to think over or ponder, or to chew over and over.

Example: After much rumination and soul-searching, I have decided to pursue a new career.

Where does rumination come from?

The first records of rumination come from the 1500s. It derives from the Latin verb rūmināre, meaning “to chew the cud.” Rūmināre comes from the Latin rūmen, which gives us the English rumen—the first of four compartments in the stomach of ruminant animals. Such animals, like cows, eat grass, swallow it, and then regurgitate it and chew it some more. When the food is regurgitated to be chewed again, it’s called cud.

This process of chewing and rechewing is called rumination. You can see how it can be used figuratively: when you ruminate on something, you think it over. In fact, the idioms chew it over and chew the cud both refer to contemplating something for a while. Sometimes you might not be able to stop ruminating. Psychologists use the word rumination to refer to obsessively repeating a particular thought or continuing to think about something, especially a problem, over and over instead of finding a solution or moving on.

Rumination can also refer to a creative work that’s intended as a deep consideration of a particular topic or idea, as in The film was a melancholy rumination on the briefness of life. Its synonyms contemplation and meditation can also be used in this way.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to rumination?

• ruminate (verb)
• ruminations (plural)

What are some synonyms for rumination?

• contemplation
• meditation
• reflection

What are some words that share a root or word element with rumination? 

 

• ruminant
• rumen

What are some words that often get used in discussing rumination?

 

• ponder
• think
• consider
• contemplate
• meditate
• chew
• cow
• cud

How is rumination used in real life?

Rumination is generally used in a neutral or positive way to refer to the process of thinking something over. When it’s used in the context of psychology, it refers to behavior that has negative effects on a person.

After much rumination, I have concluded that neither dogs nor cats are intrinsically better than the other. Ones feelings about this subject are subjective, experiential, and contextual. I hope this clears things up.

— Tsar Czar Binks, protector of the buried beans (@SleepyHead_band) April 9, 2018

The danger of dwelling – too much rumination can lead to depression and anxiety new study finds: http://t.co/BaPPauAvnh via @BBCNews

— Mental Health Fdn (@mentalhealth) October 17, 2013

This is such a remarkable story. It is both one of the most gripping wilderness tales I've ever read, and a beautiful rumination on the nature of chaos https://t.co/fWgdJsrZV1

— Mat Honan (@mat) March 22, 2019

 

 

Try using rumination!

Is rumination used correctly in the following sentence? 

My insomnia is mainly caused by late-night rumination on my mistakes.