Jump To:

• think tank
  think tank

  noun

  a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.
• think-tank
  think-tank

  noun

  a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

think tank

American  

noun

• think tanks
  plural

1. a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.

---

think-tank British  

noun

1. informal a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

---

think tank Cultural  

1. An institution in which scholars pursue research in public policy. Largely funded by endowments and grants, think tanks work to improve public awareness of policy issues (through publications) and to influence the government to act upon issues of national importance. (See power elite.)

---

think tank Idioms  

1. A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank. This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• think tanks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of think tank

1900–05 for earlier sense “brain”; 1955–60 for current sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

think tank think-tank

The benchmarks for the contemporary understanding of the American middle class evolved in the 20th century, said Sam Pizzigati, an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Yet, "very few recent G20 meetings have produced significant breakthroughs, and it's unlikely that this one will," said James Lindsay of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Atlas works in the shadows as “a think tank that creates think tanks,” and trains its partners on “how to win the battle for hearts and minds.”

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

Kristinn Árni Hróbjartsson, co-founder of the Icelandic think tank Varda, cautioned against overinterpreting Icelanders’ decision as damaging to the EU.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

As an analyst for the Rand Corporation, a think tank focused on military and international issues, he had been granted permission to conduct research at the Pentagon, home of the United States Department of Defense.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

"It's lower on the agenda than many would think," says Hallgrimur Oddsson, director of EU-Iceland think-tank European Currents.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The figures have been much the same for years, both at Gallup and when tracked by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a think-tank.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

That could see a left-wing figure like Angela Rayner or Ed Miliband joining any race, Labour's former policy director Andrew Fisher told a think-tank event this week.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

"Exports rose 0.9% year-on-year despite steep reciprocal tariffs between May 2025 and February 2026," Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade and Research Initiative think-tank told the BBC.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

Get that soaked into your think-tank, my friend.

From A Texas Ranger by William MacLeod Raine