Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

doublethink

American  
[duhb-uhl-thingk] / ˈdʌb əlˌθɪŋk /

noun

  1. the acceptance of two contradictory ideas or beliefs at the same time.


doublethink British  
/ ˈdʌbəlˌθɪŋk /

noun

  1. deliberate, perverse, or unconscious acceptance or promulgation of conflicting facts, principles, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of doublethink

double + think 1; coined by George Orwell in his novel 1984 (1949)

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.

See Examples For:

As a scientist and journalist who has spent years thinking and writing about climate change, I was confused and saddened by the apparent doublethink I saw in Japan.

From Slate Jul. 23, 2020

Victimhood culture advocates engage in a lot of doublethink.

From The Guardian Feb. 25, 2019

From Orwell’s evocation of the totalitarian superstate of Oceania, new words entered the language: doublethink, thoughtcrime, newspeak and Big Brother.

From Seattle Times Jan. 3, 2019

It wasn't hard to tell where she learned that doublethink can be incredibly effective.

From Salon Sep. 1, 2018

This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training