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.
So with the clock winding down and the game on the line, Chambliss wasn’t thinking about a national championship, or a Heisman trophy, or his suddenly soaring NFL draft stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
“We are thinking of him and wish him strength as he receives the care and support he needs.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The problem is that the world outside the cinema is far more complex than those binary ways of thinking allow.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
This network seems to engage with our self-referential thinking and autobiographical memory—the sorts of things we think about when we are at rest, our minds wandering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But don’t go thinking that hate groups are the majority.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
