cambridge dictionary definition of critical thinking

• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

critical thinking

Definition of critical thinking

Examples of critical thinking in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critical thinking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near critical thinking

critical temperature

critical value

Cite this Entry

“Critical thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20thinking. Accessed 5 Sep. 2024.

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, why does english have so many silent letters, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, birds say the darndest things, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), games & quizzes.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Working with sources
• What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .

To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .

Critical thinking skills help you to:

• Identify credible sources
• Evaluate and respond to arguments
• Assess alternative viewpoints
• Test hypotheses against relevant criteria

Table of contents

Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.

Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.

In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:

• Is free from research bias
• Provides evidence to support its research findings
• Considers alternative viewpoints

Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.

Don't submit your assignments before you do this

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.

Try for free

Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.

Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.

Academic examples

However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.

You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.

Nonacademic examples

However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.

You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.

There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.

However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

When encountering information, ask:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
• What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
• When did they say this? Is the source current?
• Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?

Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:

• Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
• Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
• Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

• Know how to find credible sources
• Use relevant sources to inform your research
• Understand what constitutes plagiarism
• Know how to cite your sources correctly

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.

Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.

On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Ryan, E. (2023, May 31). What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/critical-thinking/

Is this article helpful?

Eoghan Ryan

Other students also liked, student guide: information literacy | meaning & examples, what are credible sources & how to spot them | examples, applying the craap test & evaluating sources, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of critical thinking noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

critical thinking

• The school encourages critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking instead of accepting opinions without questioning them.
• The book shows you how to apply critical thinking to your studies.
• Critical thinking skills enable students to evaluate information.

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

Nearby words

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

Advertisement

critical thinking

[ krit -i-k uh l thing -king ]

The questions are intended to develop your critical thinking.

Word History and Origins

Origin of critical thinking 1

Example Sentences

Being a pilot requires a particular reliance on critical thinking, preparing for a variety of situations and keeping calm and mission-focused, all of which are incredible skills to bring into a new business.

For one, our education system can equip people with critical thinking skills, media literacy and an understanding of the forces at work when people make truth judgments.

They need to be well-prepared and informed and capable of critical thinking.

It’s not possible to entirely shut out what they’re saying, but it’s best to do your own critical thinking.

What I worry about is that people aren’t learning critical thinking skills.

In court, labelers could argue that they were just trying to give students choices, while encouraging critical thinking.

For those in the movement, this means cultivating an attachment to Israel while fostering critical thinking.

A little debate and critical thinking are good for everyone.

But his timid foray into critical thinking brings swift and severe punishment.

The shift is most evident in our schools, where critical thinking has replaced rote learning as the central goal of education.

Ordinary propaganda, for instance, is quite ineffective on people trained in critical thinking.

So far as we conduct each of these processes in the light of the other, we get valid discovery or verified critical thinking.

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• What was education like in ancient Athens?
• How does social class affect education attainment?
• When did education become compulsory?
• What are alternative forms of education?
• Do school vouchers offer students access to better education?

critical thinking

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Critical Thinking
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Critical Thinking
• Monash University - Student Academic Success - What is critical thinking?
• Oklahoma State University Pressbooks - Critical Thinking - Introduction to Critical Thinking
• University of Louisville - Critical Thinking

Recent News

critical thinking , in educational theory, mode of cognition using deliberative reasoning and impartial scrutiny of information to arrive at a possible solution to a problem. From the perspective of educators, critical thinking encompasses both a set of logical skills that can be taught and a disposition toward reflective open inquiry that can be cultivated . The term critical thinking was coined by American philosopher and educator John Dewey in the book How We Think (1910) and was adopted by the progressive education movement as a core instructional goal that offered a dynamic modern alternative to traditional educational methods such as rote memorization.

Critical thinking is characterized by a broad set of related skills usually including the abilities to

• break down a problem into its constituent parts to reveal its underlying logic and assumptions
• recognize and account for one’s own biases in judgment and experience
• collect and assess relevant evidence from either personal observations and experimentation or by gathering external information
• adjust and reevaluate one’s own thinking in response to what one has learned
• form a reasoned assessment in order to propose a solution to a problem or a more accurate understanding of the topic at hand

Theorists have noted that such skills are only valuable insofar as a person is inclined to use them. Consequently, they emphasize that certain habits of mind are necessary components of critical thinking. This disposition may include curiosity, open-mindedness, self-awareness, empathy , and persistence.

Although there is a generally accepted set of qualities that are associated with critical thinking, scholarly writing about the term has highlighted disagreements over its exact definition and whether and how it differs from related concepts such as problem solving . In addition, some theorists have insisted that critical thinking be regarded and valued as a process and not as a goal-oriented skill set to be used to solve problems. Critical-thinking theory has also been accused of reflecting patriarchal assumptions about knowledge and ways of knowing that are inherently biased against women.

Dewey, who also used the term reflective thinking , connected critical thinking to a tradition of rational inquiry associated with modern science . From the turn of the 20th century, he and others working in the overlapping fields of psychology , philosophy , and educational theory sought to rigorously apply the scientific method to understand and define the process of thinking. They conceived critical thinking to be related to the scientific method but more open, flexible, and self-correcting; instead of a recipe or a series of steps, critical thinking would be a wider set of skills, patterns, and strategies that allow someone to reason through an intellectual topic, constantly reassessing assumptions and potential explanations in order to arrive at a sound judgment and understanding.

In the progressive education movement in the United States , critical thinking was seen as a crucial component of raising citizens in a democratic society. Instead of imparting a particular series of lessons or teaching only canonical subject matter, theorists thought that teachers should train students in how to think. As critical thinkers, such students would be equipped to be productive and engaged citizens who could cooperate and rationally overcome differences inherent in a pluralistic society.

Beginning in the 1970s and ’80s, critical thinking as a key outcome of school and university curriculum leapt to the forefront of U.S. education policy. In an atmosphere of renewed Cold War competition and amid reports of declining U.S. test scores, there were growing fears that the quality of education in the United States was falling and that students were unprepared. In response, a concerted effort was made to systematically define curriculum goals and implement standardized testing regimens , and critical-thinking skills were frequently included as a crucially important outcome of a successful education. A notable event in this movement was the release of the 1980 report of the Rockefeller Commission on the Humanities that called for the U.S. Department of Education to include critical thinking on its list of “basic skills.” Three years later the California State University system implemented a policy that required every undergraduate student to complete a course in critical thinking.

Critical thinking continued to be put forward as a central goal of education in the early 21st century. Its ubiquity in the language of education policy and in such guidelines as the Common Core State Standards in the United States generated some criticism that the concept itself was both overused and ill-defined. In addition, an argument was made by teachers, theorists, and others that educators were not being adequately trained to teach critical thinking.

Introduction to Critical Thinking Skills

• First Online: 04 September 2024

Cite this chapter

• K. Venkat Reddy 3 &
• G. Suvarna Lakshmi 4  

This chapter contains summaries of six articles that are machine generated. The summaries discuss the multitude ways in which the field of critical thinking has been understood and defined. Mostly the summaries included in the chapter project the view that critical thinking is all about certain cognitive abilities belonging to the higher order of thinking. The first summary explains the definition of critical thinking using a meta-level approach; it uses this approach because the problem of defining critical thinking is a meta-problem. The authors argue that the definitions proposed earlier were either subject-specific or skill-specific resulting in definitions that are neither universally applicable nor acceptable. The authors therefore have attempted to propose an approach that has three proper criteria that the definition should satisfy. They are: (1) rely on criteria, (2) self-correcting, and (3) sensitive to context. The summary of the second article on the skills required for the twenty-first-century education is based on the lists of skills proposed by various bodies that are broadly categorized as productive, critical, and creative thinking along with digital skills. The author proposes that the curriculum should incorporate skills that are required as per the current pace of change and the need of the hour.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

McPeck, J. (1981). Critical thinking and education . St. Martin’s Press.

Google Scholar  

Ennis, R. (1987). A conception of critical thinking—With some curriculum suggestions. APA Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy Summer , 1–5.

Ennis, R. (1989). Critical thinking and subject-specificity: Clarification and needed research. Educational Researcher, 18 , 4–10.

Article   Google Scholar  

Paul, R. (1995). Critical thinking: How to prepare students for a rapidly changing world . Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Lipman, M. (1988). Critical thinking: What can it be? Educational Leadership, 46 (September), 38–43.

Burkhardt, G., Monsour, M., Valdez, G., Gunn, C., Dawson, M., Lemke, C., & Martin, C. (2003). EnGauge 21st century skills: Literacy in the digital age . NCREL. http://www.pict.sdsu.edu/engauge21st.pdf

ISTE [International Society for Technology in Education]. (2007). National educational technology standards for students. (2nd rev. ed.). : ISTE. www.iste.org.

Pithers, R. T., & Soden, R. (2000). Critical thinking in education: A review. Educational Research, 42 (3), 237–249.

Higgins, S., & Baumfield, V. (1998). A defence of teaching general thinking skills. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 32 (3), 391–398. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9752.00103

Colwill, I., & Gallagher, C. (2007). Developing a curriculum for the twenty-first century: The experiences of England and Northern Ireland. Prospects, 37 (4), 411–425.

Benjamin, H. R. W. (1939). Saber-tooth curriculum, including other lectures in the history of Paleolithic education . McGraw-Hill.

Bahar, M., & Tongac, E. (2009). The effect of teaching approaches on the pattern of pupils’ cognitive structure: Some evidence from the field. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 18 (1), 21–45.

McPeck, J. E. (1990). Teaching critical thinking . Chapman and Hall.

Norris, S. P. (1985). Synthesis of research on critical thinking. Educational Leadership, 42 (8), 40–45.

Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills: Developing effective analysis and argument . Palgrave Macmillan.

Novak, J., & Gowin, D. (1984). Learning how to learn . Cambridge University Press.

Book   Google Scholar  

Heritage, M. (2008). Learning progressions: Supporting instruction and formative assessment . Council of Chief State School Officers.

UNESCO IBE. (2013b). Statement on learning in the post-2015 education and development agenda . UNESCO IBE.

UNESCO IBE [International Bureau of Education]. (2013a). Key curricular and learning issues in the post-2015 education and development agenda. Document prepared for the UNESCO IBE international experts’ meeting, 23–25 September, Geneva. UNESCO IBE.

U. S. Office of Education. (1991). America 2000: An education strategy . U. S. Government Printing Office.

Ennis, R. (1996). Critical thinking . Prentice-Hall.

Bailin, S., & Battersby, M. (2010). Reason in the balance: An inquiry approach to critical thinking . McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Capon, N., & Kuhn, D. (2004). What’s so good about problem-based learning? Cognition and Instruction, 22 (1), 61–79.

Pease, M., & Kuhn, D. (2011). Experimental analysis of the effective components of problem-based learning. Science Education, 95 , 57–86.

Wirkala, C., & Kuhn, D. (2011). Problem-based learning in K-12 education: Is it effective and how does it achieve its effects? American Educational Research Journal, 48 , 1157–1186.

Ennis, R. (1984). Problems in testing informal logic, critical thinking, reasoning ability. Inf Logic, 6 , 3–9.

Ennis, R. (2003). Critical thinking assessment. In D. Fasko (Ed.), Critical thinking and reasoning: Current theories, research, and practice . Hampton.

Ennis, R. (2008). Nationwide testing of critical thinking for higher education: Vigilance required. Teaching Philosophy, 31 (1), 1–26.

Ennis, R. (2009). Investigating and assessing multiple-choice critical thinking tests. In J. Sobocan & L. Groarke (Eds.), Critical thinking education and assessment: Can higher order thinking be tested? Althouse.

Ennis, R., & Norris, S. (1990). Critical thinking assessment: Status, issues, needs. In S. Legg & J. Algina (Eds.), Cognitive assessment of language and math outcomes . Ablex.

Fisher, A., & Scriven, M. (1997). Critical thinking: Its definition and assessment . Edgepress.

Norris, S., & Ennis, R. (1989). Evaluating critical thinking . Midwest Publications.

Groarke, L. (2009). What’s wrong with the California critical thinking skills test? CT testing and accountability. In J. Sobocan & L. Groarke (Eds.), Critical thinking education and assessment: Can higher order thinking be tested? Althouse Press.

Possin, K. (2008). A field guide to critical thinking assessment. Teaching Philosophy, 31 (3), 201–228.

Possin K (2013a) A serious flaw in the collegiate learning assessment [CLA] test. Inf Log 33(3):390–405. Also posted in Italian at http://unibec.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/un-grave-difetto-del-test-colligiate-learning-assessment-cla/

Possin, K. (2013b). Some problems with the Halpern critical thinking assessment [HCTA] test. Inquiry, 28 (3), 4–12.

Possin, K. (2013c). A fatal flaw in the collegiate learning assessment test. Assessment Update, 25 (1), 8–11.

Possin, K. (2014). Critique of the Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal test: The more you know, the lower your score. Inf Log, 34 (4), 393–416.

Sobocan, J., & Groarke, L. (Eds.). (2009). Critical thinking education and assessment: Can higher order thinking be tested? Althouse.

Pascarella, E., & Terenzini, P. (2005). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research, vol 2: A third decade of research . Jossey Bass.

Solon, T. (2007). Critical thinking infusion and course content learning in introductory psychology. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 34 (2), 95–109.

Johnson, R. H., & Hamby, B. (2015). A meta-level approach to the problem of defining ‘critical thinking’. Argumentation, 29 , 417–430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-015-9356-4

Higgins, S. (2014). Critical thinking for 21 st -century education: A cyber-tooth curriculum? Prospects, 44 , 559–574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-014-9323-0

Battersby, M., & Bailin, S. (2011). Critical inquiry: Considering the context. Argumentation, 25 , 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-011-9205-z

Yu, K.-C., Lin, K.-Y., & Fan, S.-C. (2014). An exploratory study on the application of conceptual knowledge and critical thinking to technological issues. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 25 , 339–361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-014-9289-5

Acedo, C., & Hughes, C. (2014). Principles for learning and competences in the 21st-century curriculum. Prospects, 44 , 503–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-014-9330-1

Ennis, R. H. (2016). Critical thinking across the curriculum: A vision. Topoi, 37 , 165–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-016-9401-4

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Training and Development, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

K. Venkat Reddy

Department of English Language Teaching, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

G. Suvarna Lakshmi

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Department of English Language Teaching, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (2024). Introduction to Critical Thinking Skills. In: Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (eds) Critical Thinking for Professional and Language Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37951-2_1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37951-2_1

Published : 04 September 2024

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-37950-5

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-37951-2

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Words and phrases

Personal account.

• Access or purchase personal subscriptions
• Get our newsletter
• Save searches
• Set display preferences

Institutional access

Sign in with library card

Sign in with username / password

Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic

critical thinking noun

• Hide all quotations

What does the noun critical thinking mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun critical thinking . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun critical thinking ?

Where does the noun critical thinking come from?

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun critical thinking is in the 1810s.

OED's earliest evidence for critical thinking is from 1815, in Critical Review .

critical thinking is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: critical adj. , thinking n.

Nearby entries

• critical potential, n. 1916–
• critical pressure, n. 1878–
• critical race theory, n. 1989–
• critical rationalism, n. 1945–
• critical region, n. 1933–
• critical size, n. 1940–
• critical state, n. 1871–
• critical temperature, n. 1870–
• critical theorist, n. 1753–
• critical theory, n. 1799–
• critical thinking, n. 1815–
• critical volume, n. 1878–
• criticaster, n. 1669–
• criticasterism, n. 1805–
• criticastry, n. 1887–
• criticiasis, n. 1874
• criticism, n. 1606–
• criticist, n. & adj. 1838–
• criticizable, adj. 1751–
• criticize, v. 1621–
• criticizer, n. a1680–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

Meaning & use

Entry history for critical thinking, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for critical, adj. & n.

critical thinking, n. was first published in June 2018.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Please submit your feedback for critical thinking, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for critical thinking, n., browse entry.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Translation of critical thinking – English-French dictionary

Critical thinking.

(Translation of critical thinking from the PASSWORD English-French Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Examples of critical thinking

Translations of critical thinking.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• PASSWORD English–French    Noun
• Translations
• All translations

To add critical thinking to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add critical thinking to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.