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vertical thinking

American  
[vur-ti-kuhl thing-king] / ˈvɜr tɪ kəl ˈθɪŋ kɪŋ /

noun

  1. a more traditional approach to problem solving that relies primarily on analytical and linear thought processes.

    In the first session we did a lot of brainstorming, and then used vertical thinking in the second session to select the feasible ideas.

Etymology

Origin of vertical thinking

Coined in 1967 by Maltese psychologist E. de Bono (1933–2021)

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.

This distinction between vertical thinking and horizontal thinking is as important in brain science as it is in contemporary economics.

From Forbes • Nov. 21, 2012

The key to challenging the inviolable may lie in the difference between vertical thinking and lateral thinking.

From Time Magazine Archive

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.