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

The chamber’s survey of more than 100 local organizations found that interpersonal traits — communication, critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence and reliability — trumped job-specific technical skills or credentials in overall importance to employers. —Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026

Learning Immersion/Talent Development is similarly focused on critical thinking and academic rigor. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026

From candidates wearing bathrobes to those outsourcing their critical thinking to AI, the virtual hiring process is facing a crisis of casualness. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026

Alumni—including a nonprofit founder, therapist, professor, aspiring physician and a Rhodes Scholar—said UT courses about women’s reproductive health, LGBTQ history and female literature gave them critical thinking skills and new perspectives that shaped their careers. —Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026

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