Meanings
- uncountableThe application of logical principles, rigorous standards of evidence, and careful reasoning to the analysis and discussion of claims, beliefs, and issues.
As any educator knows, the training of students in critical thinking, analytic skills, and problem solving has become a top educational priority in recent years.
1990, Kerry S. Walters, “Critical Thinking, Rationality, and the Vulcanization of Students”, in Journal of Higher Education, volume 61, number 4, page 4503 more examples
The new mysticism, very prevalent at this time in America, is thus, indeed, not ill represented by this very pleasant book. Critical thinking there is none, of course, from one end of the volume to the other.
1898, Josiah Royce, “Review of In Tune with the Infinite; or, Fulness of Peace, Power, and Plenty by Ralph Waldo Trine”, in International Journal of Ethics, volume 9, number 1, page 126Recent studies of adolescents' brain scans show that the consumption of alcohol by young adults can cause long-lasting damage, particularly in areas related to learning, memory and critical thinking.
2006 June 4, David Pease, “Teenage Wasteland”, in New York Times, retrieved 16 Jun 2009Moreover, Xi's demand for absolute political obedience suffocates society. Suffocation can only inhibit critical thinking, an essential element of research, even in areas far removed from Xi's Maost-like ideology.
2020, Gordon G. Chang, The Great U.S.-China Tech War, New York: Encounter Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 24
Translations
Afrikaans kritiese denke
- kritiese denkeapplication of logical principles
Arabic تَفْكِير نَقْدِيّ
- تَفْكِير نَقْدِيّ (tafkīr naqdiyy)application of logical principles
Basque pentsamendu kritiko
- pentsamendu kritikoapplication of logical principles
Bengali সুবিবেচক চিন্তন
- সুবিবেচক চিন্তন (śubibecok cinton)application of logical principles
Bulgarian критично мислене
- критично мислене (kritično mislene)application of logical principles
Catalan pensament crític
- pensament críticapplication of logical principles
Chinese Mandarin 批判性思維 /批判性思维, 思辨
- 批判性思維 /批判性思维 (pīpànxìng sīwéi)application of logical principles
- 思辨 (sībiàn)application of logical principles
Czech kritické myšlení
- kritické myšleníapplication of logical principles
Finnish kriittinen ajattelu
- kriittinen ajatteluapplication of logical principles
French pensée critique, esprit critique
- pensée critiqueapplication of logical principles
- esprit critiqueapplication of logical principles
German kritisches Denken
- kritisches Denkenapplication of logical principles
Greek κριτική σκέψη
- κριτική σκέψη (kritikí sképsi)application of logical principles
Hindi आलोचनात्मक चिन्तन
- आलोचनात्मक चिन्तन (ālocnātmak cintan)application of logical principles
Indonesian berpikir kritis, pemikiran kritis
- berpikir kritisapplication of logical principles
- pemikiran kritisapplication of logical principles
Irish gagnrýnin hugsun
- gagnrýnin hugsunapplication of logical principles
Italian pensiero critico
- pensiero criticoapplication of logical principles
Japanese クリティカルシンキング, 批判的思考
- クリティカルシンキング (kuritikarushinkingu)application of logical principles
- 批判的思考application of logical principles
Korean 비판적 사고
- 비판적 사고application of logical principles
Latvian kritiskā domāšana
- kritiskā domāšanaapplication of logical principles
Lithuanian kritinis mąstymas
- kritinis mąstymasapplication of logical principles
Malay pemikiran kritis
- pemikiran kritisapplication of logical principles
Māori whakaaro arohaehae
- whakaaro arohaehaeapplication of logical principles
Persian تفکر انتقادی
- تفکر انتقادیapplication of logical principles
Polish myślenie krytyczne
- myślenie krytyczneapplication of logical principles
Portuguese pensamento crítico
- pensamento críticoapplication of logical principles
Punjabi ਆਲੋਚਨਾਤਮਿਕ ਚਿੰਤਨ
- ਆਲੋਚਨਾਤਮਿਕ ਚਿੰਤਨ (ālocnātamik cintan)application of logical principles
Romanian gândire critică
- gândire criticăapplication of logical principles
Russian крити́ческое мышле́ние
- крити́ческое мышле́ние (kritíčeskoje myšlénije)application of logical principles
Slovak kritické myslenie
- kritické myslenieapplication of logical principles
Spanish pensamiento crítico, razonamiento crítico
- pensamiento críticoapplication of logical principles
- razonamiento críticoapplication of logical principles
- raciocinación críticaapplication of logical principles
Tagalog kritikal na pag-iisip
- kritikal na pag-iisipapplication of logical principles
Turkish eleştirel düşünce, eleştirel düşünme
- eleştirel düşünceapplication of logical principles
- eleştirel düşünmeapplication of logical principles
Ukrainian критичне мислення
- критичне мислення (krytyčne myslennja)application of logical principles
Vietnamese tư duy phản biện
- tư duy phản biệnapplication of logical principles
Cite this entry
critical thinking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critical%20thinking
“critical thinking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critical%20thinking. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “critical thinking,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/critical%20thinking.
Source: critical thinking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.