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Synonyms

groupthink

American  
[groop-thingk] / ˈgrupˌθɪŋk /

noun

  1. the practice of approaching problems or issues as matters that are best dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently; conformity.

  2. the lack of individual creativity, or of a sense of personal responsibility, that is sometimes characteristic of group interaction.

groupthink British  
/ ˈɡruːpˌθɪŋk /

noun

  1. a tendency within organizations or society to promote or establish the view of the predominant group

"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 groupthink

1950–55; group + think 1, on the model of doublethink

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.

He will need to steer groupthink, or at least the thinking of the voting Federal Open Market Committee, to implement his preferred policies on rates and the balance sheet.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Many times, groupthink and herd mentality can prevent bad ideas from being spotted and canceled before they become larger failures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

First, she had to stop fighting the Others, the term for the billions united in groupthink, and accept if not entirely trust that the collective love they profess to have for her is real.

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2025

Is there space in the Bazball groupthink to suggest there might be another way of doing things?

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

He wanted to be as far from Wall Street’s groupthink as possible.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 15, 2025

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.