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.
"Obviously you are thinking to yourself 'When is this all going to end?'"
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Having this kind of data allows us to start thinking about whether they should."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
“I knew in my heart and in my soul, without even thinking about it. I felt it vibrationally. I knew that song was giant. I knew it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
These realities don’t map to every experience yet following the NPC slander to its logical conclusion can be dangerous: declaring that a person’s alleged lack of inner thinking is justification for dismissing their humanity.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
She wasn’t the only one thinking about being too sick for school tomorrow, though me and Lloyd would never get away with it.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
