: the attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe
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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
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Overall, history tells us it's wishful thinking that the Bengals would make an exception and do something for the greater good.
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Coach John Harbaugh is hoping to have Smith back by the start of training camp in mid-July but that might be wishful thinking.
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Antony Jones/Getty Images for Disney Of course, this all might just be wishful thinking on my part.
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But contrary to your wishful thinking, Patrick, drawing heat away from the engine will not make the engine warm up any faster.
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Needless to say, no amount of wishful thinking can make hair grow two feet overnight.
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That’s not wishful thinking but an assessment based on research and analysis by Alan Berube, a Brookings senior fellow who studies economic and demographic trends and the role of cities in the global economy.
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And the sense that this strange man is never more than an inch from the political precipice is not entirely the product of his critics’ wishful thinking.
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For the first time in a long time, the idea that better days are ahead wouldn’t just be wishful thinking.
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.
First Known Use of wishful thinking
1932
WISHFUL THINKING Defined for English Language Learners
wishful thinking
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: an attitude or belief that something you want to happen will happen even though it is not likely or possible
Learn More about wishful thinking
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