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

Pausing before acting sharpens critical thinking, reduces stress and builds trust. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Art and humor force us to break out of those rigid coordinates through laughter, critical thinking and refusing to conform, to consider the world in different ways. —Holly Jones, Variety, 9 June 2025

Playwrights addressed the polis not by dramatizing current events but by recasting tales from the mythological and historic past to sharpen critical thinking on contemporary concerns. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025

Rather than dispense with qualities like critical thinking and empathy, workplace technology heightened the need for workers who exhibit those attributes, Loaiza said, citing demand for occupations like early-education teachers, home health aides and therapists. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 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