wishful thinking

noun

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Examples: wishful thinking in a Sentence

Definition of wishful thinking

: the attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe

See wishful thinking defined for English-language learners

Examples of wishful thinking in a Sentence

The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Recent Examples of wishful thinking from the Web

Scenarios that pro-choice GOP senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski might block Trump’s nominee are wishful thinking.

— frank rich, Daily Intelligencer, "Rot on the Right, Green Shoots on the Left," 28 June 2018
That is achievable but rests on some sleight of hand and wishful thinking.

— spencer jakab, WSJ, "GE’s Plan Rests on Promises and Some Sleight of Hand," 26 June 2018
After decades of working toward achieving nuclear capability, experts say, the notion of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula is likely wishful thinking.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "“A Dog Whistle to the North Koreans”: Will Trump’s Ignorance (and Bolton’s Impetuousness) Doom the North Korea Summit?," 4 May 2018
And the industry is rife with hype and wishful thinking—even the evidence for multivitamins isn’t solid.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Supplements are a $30 billion racket—here’s what experts actually recommend," 20 Feb. 2018
Talk of third parties can seem like wishful thinking.

— paul thornton, latimes.com, "Why Mueller will remain Trump's menace," 19 May 2018
And any aggrieved Old Boy rushing to write this off as a one-off might want to look up the definition of wishful thinking.

— maria panaritis, Philly.com, "'The women have arrived' with Pa. congressional primary wins, as the old boys get a wake-up call | Maria Panaritis," 16 May 2018
This seems wishful thinking, especially since Trump has now plunged transatlantic relations into crisis after championing Moscow's cause at the G-7 summit in Quebec and unleashing a likely trade war on his nation's closest allies.

— ishaan tharoor, Washington Post, "Is Trump gaslighting the world on North Korea?," 18 June 2018
The obvious question: If dozens of Londoners can die in a single night from a combination of lax regulations and wishful thinking, do Americans face the same dangers?

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "A Year Has Passed Since the Grenfell Tower Fire. It Could Happen Again Anytime.," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wishful thinking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.