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

After the Budget, the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank said households were facing a "truly dismal" increase in living standards.

From BBC

One-third of the middle class cannot afford basic necessities, according to research from Brookings, a centrist think tank, and they’re relying more on debt to pay for them.

From MarketWatch

The think tank argues that shareholders need more information to judge whether the company’s public promises to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions is in their best financial interest.

From Los Angeles Times

Before that, he was Vox's White House reporter covering foreign policy and worked at the Atlantic Council think tank covering national security and military affairs.

From The Wall Street Journal

“How much can you do in a country that actively doesn’t want to develop a certain technology?” said Daan Walter, principal at energy think tank Ember.

From The Wall Street Journal