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

Sometimes it’s wishful thinking that feels like conviction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

It was confusion, or maybe wishful thinking, or was it outright defiance?

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

There’s a fair bit of analysis suggesting the whole thing may be more wishful thinking than a useful tool to time your investing.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026

That's an awful lot of wishful thinking, an awful lot of kicking a decision down the road.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

“A million dollars,” he answered, knowing it was really wishful thinking.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty