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 shift towards learning and critical thinking may be the hope that students need to tackle an environment with pervasive AI. —Hessie Jones, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

Instead, human soft skills like curiosity, communication, and critical thinking are incredibly important in leadership and work, according to the 63-year-old CEO. —Danny Bakst, Fortune, 26 June 2025

In the early years of the Cold War, government bulletins began emphasizing participatory learning and critical thinking, with NSF funding eventually revolutionizing the American science classroom with a new focus on experiment and other hands-on application of scientific knowledge. —Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2025

And the three biggest training needs — deeper experience with MS Excel, data analysis and critical thinking. —Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025

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