metacognition
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of metacognition
Explanation
Whenever you think about the thoughts that you're thinking, that's metacognition. Metacognition can be a useful way to work through difficult experiences, by reflecting on what's going through your head. This word is formed by adding meta-, or "above," to cognition, which means "thinking." Rather than simply having a thought, metacognition involves mulling it over and putting it into context with your previous patterns of thought. Understanding why you think the way you do, and how those thoughts make you feel and act, are part of metacognition. Try using metacognition the next time you're worried about something! Examining your thoughts more closely just might make you feel better.
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.
"Our study may be the first to demonstrate that a different kind of cognitive ability, known as metacognition and mentalizing, might be much more influenced by environment."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2024
When I did my PhD, I was interested in metacognition in Alzheimer's disease.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2023
Good study habits, including managing your workspace, giving yourself plenty of time, and working through a checklist, can promote metacognition.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
But it’s actually the opposite — it’s more about metacognition or “thinking about thinking,” as my elementary school students have been learning lately.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2020
Imagine you have been challenged to teach a three-year-old child something about metacognition in fewer than 300 words.
From Scientific American ● May 11, 2019
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.
