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• 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

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

In the week following the election, almost all news reports aired on public TV took on a neutral tone, according to an analysis from the liberal-leaning think tank Republikon Institute.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

In his BBC interview, Sir Tony was asked about the sources of funding for his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, and the influence of donors, including Larry Ellison, the founder of software company Oracle.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

That helped workers climb the ladder to higher-paying careers like sales, said Mark Muro, senior fellow at the think tank Brookings Metro.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, a progressive think tank, said President Trump appears to be on a warpath.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

During those chaotic years, as the basic functioning of Kim Jong Il’s government stalled, think tank experts in the West were writing books with doomsday titles such as The End of North Korea.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden