theory of mind

Or The·o·ry of Mind

[thee-uh-ree uhv mahynd, theer-ee]

noun

Psychology, Philosophy.

1. the ability to interpret one’s own and other people’s mental and emotional states, understanding that each person has unique motives, perspectives, etc. ToM, TOM

Word History and Origins

Origin of theory of mind¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Like a CEO has less theory of mind for their employees.

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Theory of mind — explain what that means.

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There's super interesting work in the organizational behavior space about how having more power makes you have less theory of mind for people who are lower status.

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It's not entirely a trivial question, either and has interesting implications for canine intelligence, including the so-called theory of mind.

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Some people lose what psychologists call theory of mind—that is, the ability to comprehend that other people have minds and mental states just like they do.

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