critical thinking
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of critical thinking
First recorded in 1810–15
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.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the gripe was “stick to reading, writing and ‘rithmetic,” which implies hostility toward expanding those lessons to more complex ideas like literary analysis, critical thinking, and higher math and sciences.
From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026
"Predictably, our children will develop deep critical thinking, and independent reasoning abilities."
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Because you are in an environment that is now suddenly overrun with a tremendous amount of A.I., and I worry about critical thinking skills.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026
To recommit to ideals that have made a strong liberal arts education foundational to American democracy: critical thinking, dialogue, pluralism, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
The left hemisphere presides over rational, analytical and critical thinking.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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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.