groupthink
Americannoun
-
the practice of approaching problems or issues as matters that are best dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently; conformity.
-
the lack of individual creativity, or of a sense of personal responsibility, that is sometimes characteristic of group interaction.
noun
Etymology
Origin of groupthink
1950–55; group + think 1, on the model of doublethink
Explanation
When people collectively make a decision or state an opinion, especially one that seems foolish, they're using groupthink. If you go along with your friends' idea to jump off a moving hayride together, you're a victim of groupthink. The word groupthink is most commonly used in an office or business context. This phenomenon occurs when people who like and trust each other go along with an idea without stopping to think it through critically. It first appeared in Fortune magazine in 1952, inspired by George Orwell's 1984 and its terms like "doublethink." Today groupthink is considered a psychological phenomenon that occurs when conforming to a group feels more important than reason and rationality.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Groupthink in business can cost money, but groupthink in national security can cost lives.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023
Groupthink is where individuals overlook potential problems or new ideas in pursuit of a consensus.
From Reuters • Jan. 22, 2023
Groupthink in any organization results in a lack of challenge and poor decision making.
From Fox News • May 24, 2021
Groupthink comes in various shapes, especially in the NBA, where teams’ top decision-makers often have similar backgrounds.
From Washington Post • Jun. 19, 2018
Groupthink and homogeneity are making it a worse place to live and work, these workers said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
