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

These crystalline powders, waved about in vials like illicit relics, are seemingly accepted without question; critical thinking around their impact remains in short supply. —Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025

Teaching how and why the Holocaust happened can make the Holocaust relevant and provoke critical thinking, something sorely needed in a world awash in online denial, distortion, and antisemitism. —Greg Schneider and Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025

Matt Candy, global managing partner in generative AI at IBM, says that liberal arts majors (those who study language and critical thinking skills, like philosophy, languages and literature) are well-positioned for working with AI agents. —Chris Westfall, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Those include skilled trades like plumbers and electricians, as well as white collar roles that rely heavily on social skills, critical thinking, and creativity. —Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1