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

His day job is doing team building and critical thinking exercises for companies, and he’s got a lot of ideas for how that might come in handy. —Calmatters, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024

Education gave me the critical thinking skills needed to perform that repair. —Tim Johnson, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2024

Alongside a passion for service, graduates need critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills—and the tools to adapt to a dynamic digital environment. —Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023

The onus would be on governments and the private sector, and almost as important as the civil and individual responsibility of critical thinking and questioning the apparently obvious. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2024

Censorship or suppression of any sort atrophies critical thinking and weakens conviction and understanding. —Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2024

To understand and manage crises, students need a combination of critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. —Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

Valeria Garcia Flores, sophomore, Trevor G. Browne High School Valeria Garcia Flores has great critical thinking and time management skills. —Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2024

So caught up in their fear of a clique and the oversimplified binary between competitive and noncompetitive reality shows, The Traitors gamers fail to understand the subtle strategy and critical thinking mandatory for a long-term Real Housewives career. —Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1