magical thinking

American  

noun

1. a conviction that thinking is equivalent to doing, occurring in dreams, the thought patterns of children, and some types of mental disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder.

---

Example Sentences

And some of what appeared to be magical thinking: “When this conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

We in the space community, in my view, have been willing to engage in magical thinking this whole time.”

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025

Each of these proposals attempts to address real problems but are either the result of magical thinking or will do more harm than good.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

As mouse-eared pilgrims plied the sidewalks outside, the party faithful — meeting several long blocks from Disneyland — engaged in their own bit of escapism and magical thinking.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025

I’m not the kind of person who’s prone to premonitions or overconfidence, so I suspected that there was more to my flash than magical thinking.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman