wishful thinking

American  

noun

1. interpretation of facts, actions, words, etc., as one would like them to be rather than as they really are; imagining as actual what is not.

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wishful thinking British  

noun

1. the erroneous belief that one's wishes are in accordance with reality

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wishful thinking Idioms  

1. Interpreting matters as one would like them to be, as opposed to what they really are. For example, Matthew wanted to be a basketball player, but with his height that was wishful thinking. This term comes from Freudian psychology of the mid-1920s and soon began to be used more loosely.

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Other Word Forms

• wishful thinker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of wishful thinking

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

If this sounds like wishful thinking, you can hardly be blamed.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

It's also not yet clear if any lucky fans will get an invite, a theory perhaps wrapped in wishful thinking that cropped up due to Swift inviting devout fans to her home in the past.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

And maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but it’s enough to inspire both professionals and amateurs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

“This is not just our wishful thinking, it is what we hear from our customers.”

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Mere wishful thinking, Farmer declared, basically telling his audience they didn’t know as much about MDR as he and PIH did.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French