thinking
Americanadjective
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rational; reasoning.
People are thinking animals.
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thoughtful; reflective.
Any thinking person would reject that plan.
noun
noun
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opinion or judgment
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the process of thought
adjective
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(prenominal) using or capable of using intelligent thought
thinking people
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to ponder a matter or problem
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thinking
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English thenking (noun); see think 1, -ing 2, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The van just kept coming and I was thinking 'this isn't right'."
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
But a combination of economic factors has caused their thinking to change.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
When “Transamerica” premiered, the average American didn’t spend much time thinking about bathroom gender markers, much less trying to understand the intricacies of the trans experience.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
“I weirdly got thinking about free will,” he explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
I am still standing there when they finally leave, thinking about what I’d just discovered on Theo’s drafting table.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
