critical thinking

noun

1

: the act or practice of thinking critically (as by applying reason and questioning assumptions) in order to solve problems, evaluate information, discern biases, etc.

Today, what we call the Socratic method is a way of teaching that fosters critical thinking, in part by encouraging students to question their own unexamined beliefs, as well as the received wisdom of those around them.

—Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

2

: the set of skills, methods, etc. involved in critical thinking

Media literacy enlivens how our schools teach critical thinking by serving as a bridge between the classroom and the world in which our young people live most of their waking lives.

—Wally Bowen

Using the same skills used for centuries—analysis, synthesis, and evaluation—we must look at digital literacy as another realm within which to apply elements of critical thinking.

—Barbara Jones-Kavalier and Suzanne Flannigan

—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun

Helping students develop critical-thinking skills and information literacy is one of the core missions of libraries everywhere.

—Nancy Pearl

Examples of critical thinking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The paradox of Gen Z’s willingness to use AI at the office, even amid persistent worries about the technology’s impact on critical thinking, lays bare the young generation’s complicated feelings toward AI, according to the report’s authors. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026

That could include the sort of soft skills that AI is not as capable of replacing, like communication, creativity and critical thinking. —Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026

In an era of instant answers, strengthening critical thinking means resisting automation. —Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Financial literacy was at the top of the list followed by critical thinking, reading and literacy, life skills and career readiness. —Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for critical thinking

• blinking
• clinking
• drinking
• inking
• kinking
• linking
• shrinking
• sinking
• slinking
• stinking
• winking
• freethinking