Cerebrations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The mental action or process of thinking deeply and critically about a subject
2. The act of using one's mind to contemplate or analyze various ideas or concepts
3. Engaging in reflective thought or reasoning, often involving careful consideration and deliberation

Etymology: The plural form "cerebrations" is simply the plural of "cerebration," so the history below belongs to the singular. Its core is the Latin "cerebrum," meaning "brain," which English took directly, while the ending "-ation" comes from Latin "-atio," a suffix that turns an action or process into a noun. Put together, the parts literally describe the activity of the brain at work. The surprise is how literal the word was at first. "Cerebration" was once used in a physiological sense, for the brain's functioning as a bodily organ, much as one might speak of the digestion of the stomach. Only later did it narrow to the mental activity of reflecting on a problem, so the word moved from anatomy toward intellect while keeping its focus on the head.

Synonyms: thoughts, reflections, considerations, cognition, introspection

Antonyms: ignorance, unawareness