- Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
Meaning of critical thinking in English
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
- adjudication
- interpretable
- interpretive
- interpretively
- reinterpretation
- reinvestigate
- reinvestigation
- risk assessment
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Examples of critical thinking
Translations of critical thinking.
Get a quick, free translation!
Word of the Day
two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings
Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024
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
- English 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.
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.
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 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.