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school of thought

American  
[skool uhv thawt] / ˈskul əv ˈθɔt /

noun

  1. a unifying philosophy or particular point of view with a group of adherents.

    One school of thought in international diplomacy values cultural exchange as highly as the traditional diplomatic work.

Etymology

Origin of school of thought

First recorded in 1825–30

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.

There’s also a technical school of thought that “overbought” is more of an ability than a condition, meaning that the ability to become overbought is a sign of underlying strength.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

There is a school of thought among some fans that a good season is one where your team still has plenty to play for come April.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

And McCullum fits squarely in that school of thought.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Warsh wants to see a return of monetarism, a school of thought that holds that increases in the money supply can drive inflation.

From Barron's • Oct. 8, 2025

My mom generally subscribes to the more positive, optimistic school of thought, and my dad believes the doomsayers are underplaying the truth.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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.