theory of mind

American

[thee-uh-ree uhv mahynd, theer-ee] / ˈθi ə ri əv ˈmaɪnd, ˈθɪər i /

Or Theory of Mind

noun

Psychology, Philosophy.

the ability to interpret one’s own and other people’s mental and emotional states, understanding that each person has unique motives, perspectives, etc. ToM, TOM

Etymology

Origin of theory of mind

First recorded in 1985–90

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.

They demonstrate sophisticated theory of mind, tracking what others know and don’t know.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

Related: Scientists are discussing if A.I. chatbots have developed theory of mind.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

We found that sleep-deprived people were significantly less likely to want to help others, and that correlated one to one with the impairment in their theory of mind network.

From Scientific American • Oct. 14, 2022

"There is this general feeling that we can't possibly understand what we actually experience because we don't have theory of mind... It's also a way of not allowing us to advocate for ourselves."

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2022

To comprehend the position and meaning of memory and to understand its organic interconnexion with thought is one of the hardest points, and hitherto one quite unregarded in the theory of mind.

From Hegel's Philosophy of Mind by Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023