lateral thinking

American  

[lat-er-uhl thing-king] / ˈlæt ər əl ˈθɪŋ kɪŋ /

noun

1. an approach to problem solving that involves nontraditional thought processes such as free association of ideas, creative analogy, pattern recognition, intuition, etc..

   This position requires lateral thinking, collaborative skills, and the ability to deal with ambiguity.

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lateral thinking British  

noun

1. a way of solving problems by rejecting traditional methods and employing unorthodox and apparently illogical means

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Etymology

Origin of lateral thinking

Coined in 1967 by Maltese psychologist E. de Bono (1933–2021)

Example Sentences

Lateral thinking is about getting in the mindset of breaking the rules that aren’t really rules; they’re just the way things have been conventionally done in the past.

From Time • Dec. 3, 2014

Lateral thinking and well-timed jumps are the order of the day here.

From The Guardian • Aug. 4, 2010

Lateral thinking is a crackling arc of association: the mind scans apparently unrelated events and facts and locates new meaning where none seemed to exist before.

From Time Magazine Archive