think tank

American  

noun

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

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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

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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.)

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of think tank

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

Example Sentences

There are a few ways to measure readiness, but each method has its drawbacks, said Jill Cannon, a senior policy researcher at global policy think tank Rand.

From Los Angeles Times

He is a "technocrat," according to analyst Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group think tank.

From Barron's

Census Bureau estimates analyzed by Dany Bahar, a Venezuelan economist and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal

“There is a growing rebellion,” said Brad Carson, a former Democratic congressman representing Oklahoma who is now president of the think tank Americans for Responsible Innovation, which advocates for guardrails around tech development.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mabli Siriol Jones, head of poverty policy at the Bevan Foundation think tank, said schemes such as baby bundles which support families with rising costs were a "welcome step towards tackling child poverty".

From BBC