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Synonyms

thinking

American  
[thing-king] / ˈθɪŋ kɪŋ /

adjective

  1. rational; reasoning.

    People are thinking animals.

  2. thoughtful; reflective.

    Any thinking person would reject that plan.

noun

  1. thought; judgment, reflection.

    clear thinking.
thinking British  
/ ˈθɪŋkɪŋ /

noun

  1. opinion or judgment

  2. the process of thought

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (prenominal) using or capable of using intelligent thought

    thinking people

  2. to ponder a matter or problem

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonthinking adjective
  • thinkingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of thinking

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English thenking (noun); 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.

In order to AI-proof your career, apply to jobs where critical thinking and innovation are more important than technical skills.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Did congressional leadership know?—there is one that won’t stop popping into my mind: What in the hell was he thinking?

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

In a smaller group of participants who died during the study and underwent autopsies, those with higher enrichment showed stronger memory and thinking abilities and slower cognitive decline before death.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

"The Pope is the Pope, we owe him a certain amount of deference, but I don't think that Catholicism wants the obedience of cadavers. We are living, thinking persons," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Suddenly, Torak had the strangest sense that the cub knew what he was thinking.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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.