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

Visual literacy involves the act of reading imagery that sharpens your critical thinking, focus, and precision. —Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025

Teachers and parents are worried that regular chatbot use could weaken important skills such as communication, empathy and critical thinking. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025

Students who are not exposed to beliefs and ideas contrary to their own have a harder time developing critical thinking skills and logical reasoning abilities. —Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025

Skills, including creativity, critical thinking, and learning to be compassionate, are all potential benefits of reading. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025

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