critical thinking meaning oxford english dictionary

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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

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“Critical thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20thinking. Accessed 3 Sep. 2024.

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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.

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What is Critical Thinking?

7 steps to critical thinking, books in the collection.

• Synthesizing Information
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The Oxford English Dictionary defines critical thinking as "the objective, systematic, and rational analysis and evaluation of factual evidence in order to form a judgement on a subject, issue, etc."

Put simply, critical thinking is the ability to recognize and examine information to understand the evidence, arguments, and perspectives present in that information. Critical thinking means seeking answers and asking questions.

• TED-Ed Can You Solve This Riddle? (playlist) Try out some of the classic riddles in this playlist from TED Ed. Each video established the riddle with narration and animation. Use your critical thinking skills to solve the riddles!

The following seven steps, developed by Kraus et al., are meant to illustrate the process of critical thinking. While true critical thinking may not follow these steps as written, they can serve as a guide or framework for individuals working on improving their critical thinking skills.

• What am I being asked to believe or accept?
• What evidence is available to support the claim?
• What alternative ways are there to interpret the evidence?
• Rate the evidence/alternatives on 0-10 scale based on validity/strength.
• What assumptions or biases came up when doing the above steps? (e.g., using intuition/emotion, authority, or personal experience rather than science)
• What additional evidence would help us evaluate the alternatives?
• What conclusions are most reasonable or likely?

Kraus, S., Sears, S. R., & Burke, B. L. (2013). Is truthiness enough? Classroom activities for encouraging evidence-based critical thinking. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 13 (2), 83-93.

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Article contents

Critical thinking.

• Derek Allen , Derek Allen University of Toronto
• Sharon Bailin , Sharon Bailin Simon Fraser University
• Mark Battersby Mark Battersby Capilano University
•  and  James B. Freeman James B. Freeman Hunter College of the City University of New York, Emeritus
• https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1179
• Published online: 27 October 2020

There are numerous definitions of critical thinking, but the core concept has been said to be careful, reasoned, goal-directed thinking. There are also many conceptualizations of critical thinking, which are generally more detailed than brief definitions, and there are different views about what the goal(s) of critical thinking instruction should be. Whether critical thinking is a good thing is a matter of debate. Approaches to teaching critical thinking vary, partly according to whether they focus on general principles of critical thinking or on subject-matter content or on a combination of both. A meta-analysis research report published in 2015 concluded that, subject to certain qualifications, a variety of critical thinking skills and dispositions can develop in students through instruction at all educational levels. Critical thinking instruction has been influenced by research in cognitive psychology that has suggested strategies for countering factors (e.g., biases) that the research has found to produce irrational beliefs. Methods of assessing critical thinking ability include teacher-designed tests and standardized tests. A research report published in 2014 on assessing critical thinking in higher education describes challenges involved in designing standardized critical thinking tests and proposes a framework for a “next-generation” assessment. The challenges include achieving a balance between the assessment's real-world relevance and its psychometric quality, and designing an assessment useful for instructional purposes and for comparisons of programs and institutions. The proposed framework is based partly on a review of existing frameworks of critical thinking in higher education. It has two analytical dimensions and two synthetic dimensions, and a dimension on understanding causation and explanation. Surveys show that employers value employees with strong critical thinking ability; this fact has significant implications for students, teachers, and administrators at all levels of education.

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date: 03 September 2024

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The Oxford Review Guide to Critical Thinking: What is it and how to develop it…

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On a journey to think critically

As teachers, it’s not always easy to embrace uncertainty.  There is comfort in knowing exactly what a lesson will cover, what questions are going to be asked, and how students are supposed to respond.

However, a paradigm shift often occurs when teachers push students toward thinking critically.  By its very nature, critical thinking brings teachers and students to a much more ambiguous place.  There is no single correct answer—but many.  Teachers are asked to adopt a “pedagogy of questions” instead of a “pedagogy of answers.” 4  They might not have all the answers, and answers might themselves be in the form of questions.

Managing such ambiguity in the classroom is no simple task, yet many researchers continue to cite the benefits of teaching students to think critically.  Evidence suggests that teaching critical thinking in the language classroom improves both speaking and writing and increases motivation. 11   Kabilan goes so far as to suggest that foreign language learners are not truly proficient until they can think critically and creatively in the target language. 7

In addition to embracing ambiguity, teachers must grapple with what “critical thinking” actually is , for there are countless definitions in the literature. 9   Is it making decisions independently? Developing criteria for analyzing one’s own thinking? Evaluating different perspectives, forming opinions, and taking action?  Making inferences?  Challenging assumptions?  Withholding judgment?

In fact, critical thinking has become an umbrella term encompassing all of these skills.  In looking at the literature, it also becomes clear that critical thinking is not a one-off task, but a journey, where students must discover and evaluate what they believe, why they believe it, and how new evidence challenges or supports what they believe.  It is a journey, but one that requires several stops along the way.  Part of our role as educators is to scaffold this journey of inquiry for our students.

In class, the first step of this journey often starts with a thought-provoking question.  What does it mean to be polite?  Why do things yourself?   Does advertising harm or help us?  Questions such as these allow for multiple viewpoints and set a trajectory. Questions also motivate students because they become a puzzle to be solved. 3

At this stage, teachers must consider students’ abilities, and scaffold appropriately. 8 Before asking students to share their opinions, for example, instructors may first need to give them the language necessary to do so.  This may involve teaching basic chunks such as I believe that or One reason is because before a discussion.

Teachers can also reinforce critical thinking skills by paying careful attention to the language they use in class.  Using higher-level terminology from Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as compare, predict, analyze, and recommend, will help students acquire the meta-language needed to understand what critical thinking is and what it does.

There is also art to asking questions.  A student may say, I think that advertising helps consumers .  It is natural for teachers to follow-up with Why? to encourage critical thinking.  Too often, however, the Why? question can feel like an assault and lead to uncomfortable silence.  Instead, rephrasing Why? to Can you explain that? can result in less student anxiety, and a more immediate and relaxed response.

Once the journey of inquiry has been established, new content helps to keep the momentum going.  However, interacting with the content will require careful pauses.  After a reading text or a listening, for example, students often need opportunities to stop and think, considering how the new information has modified their understanding of the question.  Here teachers can scaffold new perspectives by adding on to the initial question. What does it mean to be polite….at work?  At school?  With family?  With friends?

Students may also be encouraged to challenge or support their initial beliefs based on new evidence from the text.  When mediating such discussions, teachers must be mindful of their students’ cultural backgrounds.  Atkinson, for example, points out that in some cultures, the nature of critical thinking as an act of self-expression is not encouraged. 1  In culturally sensitive contexts, a lighter approach could involve asking students to think about how their experiences connect to those explored in a reading or listening, rather than demanding an outright opinion.  This can still lead students toward re-evaluating beliefs, but in less intrusive way.

Often the journey must be messy in order to allow disparate elements to come together in the discovery of something new.  That “aha” moment may come at one stop or another, but more often than not, it appears at the final destination.  This is when students synthesize what they think with the knowledge they have gathered through a formal speaking or writing task.   Students’ answers to the question may take a new direction, or several directions.  Graphic organizers that help students organize their ideas can help scaffold this process of discovery.  For example, when answering the question, Does advertising help or harm us? , students could use a T-chart to list reasons that support “yes” and “no” answers.

Another way to support critical thinking at the end of the journey is to ask students to reflect on their responses to the question when revising.  When students revise the final assignment, for example, they could directly compare how their response of the question compares to their response from the beginning of the journey.  To scaffold, teachers could offer chunks of language to frame the comparison: Originally, I believed that…but now, I think that…because…  This kind of reflection will push them to see and summarize the journey as a whole and could be added to their concluding remarks.

Seeing critical thinking as a journey with several stops treats it as an essential part of the lesson plan, which explains why critical thinking is often paired with content-based instruction. 3 It also acknowledges that students may not have a complete answer to a question right away, but will build on their answer as they travel through the lesson and encounter additional input.  It is a means to an end.

It is tempting to assume that teaching content and skills will result in higher-order thinking without explicit instruction, but research suggests otherwise.  Fostering critical thinking in the classroom becomes the teacher’s responsibility.  However, when done effectively, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences for students and teachers alike.  There is great satisfaction in witnessing students think about what they think, and taking them through that journey of discovery, one stop at a time.

1 Atkinson, D. (1997). A critical approach to critical thinking. TESOL Quarterly , 31(1), 71-94.

2 Brookfield, S. (2011). Teaching for Critical Thinking.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

3 Crocker, J.L., & Bowden, M.R. (2011). Thinking in English: A content-based approach.  In A. Stewart (Ed.), JALT2010 Conference Proceedings . Tokyo: JALT.

4 Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed . New York: The Seabury press.

5 Freire, P. (1973). Education for Critical Consciousness . New York: The Seabury Press

6 Halvorsen, A. (2005). Incorporating critical thinking skills development into ESL/EFL courses. Internet TESL Journal , 11(3).  Available: https://iteslj.org/Techniques/Halvorsen-CriticalThinking.html

7 Kabilan, M. (2000). Creative and critical thinking in language classrooms. Internet TESL Journal , 6(6).  Available: https://iteslj.org/Techniques/Kabilan-CriticalThinking.html

8 Liaw, M. (2007). Content-based reading and writing for critical thinking skills in an EFL context. English Teaching and Learning , 31(2), 45-87.

9 Long, C.J. (2009). Teaching critical thinking in Asian EFL contexts: theoretic and practical applications. Proceedings of the 8 th Conference of Pan-Pacific Associate of Applied Linguistics.

10 Mayfield, M. (2001). Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills through Reading and Writing (5 th ed.). United States: Thomas Learning.

11 Shirkhani, S. & Fahim, M. (2011).  Enhancing critical thinking in foreign language learners.  Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences , 29, 111-115. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811026759

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Interesting read indeed; there is only 1 huge problem: teens in particular are not critical in their own native language, how can we expect them to be in a second language ????!:)

I understand the frustration in your question. However, the tips presented here seem designed to develop critical thinking, not simply tap into it. This approach could work in both a native language and 2nd language context. Consider if you will language acting as the facilitator in the development of the student’s thinking process which can then be applied in either language, and either culture.

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Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments.   

This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is a discipline based on the ability of people to observe, elucidate and analyze information, facts and evidences in order to judge or decide if it is right or wrong.

It goes beyond mere curiosity, simple knowledge or analysis of any kind of fact or information.

People who develop this type of outlook are able to logically connect ideas and defend them with weighty opinions that ultimately help them make better decisions.

How to build and improve critical thinking skills?

Building and improving critical thinking skills involves focusing on a number of abilities and capacities .

To begin the critical thinking process all ideas must be open and all options must be understood as much as possible.

Even the dumbest or craziest idea can end up being the gateway to the most intelligent and successful conclusion.

The problem with having an open mind is that it is the most difficult path and often involves a greater challenge and effort. It is well known that the easy thing to do is to go with the obvious and the commonly accepted but this has no place in critical thinking.

By contrast, it is helpful not to make hasty decisions and to weigh the problem in its entirety after a first moment of awareness.

Finally, practicing active listening will help you to receive feedback from others and to understand other points of view that may help you as a reference.

Impartiality

An important point in the critical thinking process is the development of the ability to identify biases and maintain an impartial view in evaluations.

To improve this aspect it is advisable to have tools to be able to identify and recognize the prejudices and biases you have and try to leave them completely aside when thinking about the solution.

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Observation

Observation allows you to see each and every detail , no matter how small, subtle or inconsequential they may be or seem to be.

Behind the superficial information hides a universe of data, sources and experiences that help you make the best decision.

One of the pillars of critical thinking is objectivity. This forces you to base your value judgments on established facts that you will have gathered after a correct research process. 

At this point in the process you should also be clear about the influencing factors to be taken into account and those that can be left out.

Remember that your research is not only about gathering a good amount of information that puts the maximum number of options, variables or situations on the table. 

For the information to be of quality, it must be based on reliable and trustworthy sources.

If the information you have to collect is based on the comments and opinions of third parties, try to exercise quality control but without interference. 

To do this, ask open-ended questions that bring all the nuances to the table and at the same time serve to sift out possible biases.

With the research process completed, it is time to analyze the sources and information gathered.

At this point, your analytical skills will help you to discard what does not conform to unconventional thinking, to prioritize among the information that is of value, to identify possible trends and to draw your own conclusions.

One of the skills that characterize a person with critical thinking is their ability to recognize patterns and connections between all the pieces of information they handle in their research.

This allows them to draw conclusions of great relevance on which to base their predictions with weighty foundations.

Analytical thinking is sometimes confused with critical thinking. The former only uses facts and data, while the latter incorporates other nuances such as emotions, experiences or opinions.

One of the problems with critical thinking is that it can be developed to infinity and beyond. You can always keep looking for new avenues of investigation and new lines of argument by stretching inference to limits that may not be necessary.

At this point it is important to clarify that inference is the process of drawing conclusions from initial premises or hypotheses.

Knowing when to stop the research and thinking process and move on to the next stage in which you put into practice the actions considered appropriate is necessary.

Communication

The information you collect in your research is not top secret material. On the contrary, your knowledge sharing with other people who are involved in the next steps of the process is so important.

Think that your analytical ability to extract the information and your conclusions can serve to guide others .

Problem solving

It is important to note at this point that critical thinking can be aimed at solving a problem but can also be used to simply answer questions or even to identify areas for improvement in certain situations. 

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critical adjective & noun

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What does the word critical mean?

There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word critical , one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

critical has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

How common is the word critical ?

How is the word critical pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the word critical come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the word critical is in the mid 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for critical is from 1556, in the writing of Robert Recorde, mathematician and physician.

critical is a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element.

Etymons: Latin criticus , ‑al suffix 1 .

Nearby entries

• criterion-referenced, adj. 1963–
• criterion-referencing, n. 1971–
• criterium, n. a1631–
• crith, n. 1865–
• crithology, n. 1656
• crithomancy, n. 1652–
• critic, n. 1587–
• critic, adj. ?c1400–1889
• critic, v. 1607–
• criticable, adj. 1874–
• critical, adj. & n. 1556–
• critical access, adj. 1989–
• critical angle, n. 1829–
• critical care, n. 1956–
• critical damping, n. 1898–
• critical edition, n. 1721–
• critical flicker frequency, n. 1909–
• critical idealism, n. 1797–
• critical illness, adj. 1986–
• criticality, n. 1758–
• critical legal studies, n. 1975–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for critical, adj. & n..

critical, adj. & n. was revised in March 2022.

critical, adj. & n. was last modified in June 2024.

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.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into critical, adj. & n. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1893)

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Meaning of critical in English

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critical adjective ( NOT PLEASED )

• She is critical of the president's globalist foreign policy .
• She was highly critical of the insensitive and peremptory way in which the cases had been handled .
• Many people were critical of the resurgent militarism in the country .
• She is a prolific writer with critical views and a sharp tongue .
• She is very critical of the way we bring up our children .
• astringency
• astringently
• be all very well idiom
• hypercritical
• scarifyingly
• scorchingly
• uncomplimentary
• witheringly

critical adjective ( GIVING OPINIONS )

• Studying has certainly sharpened my critical faculties .
• Despite his great commercial success he still yearns for critical approval .
• The play opened to great critical acclaim .
• He has written a long critical piece evaluating the exhibition .
• adjudication
• have the measure of someone/something idiom
• interpretable
• interpretive
• reinspection
• reinterpret
• reinterpretation
• reinvestigate
• reinvestigation

critical adjective ( IMPORTANT )

• The avoidance of injury is critical to a professional athlete .
• It is critical that we keep the content of the letters secret .
• Continued funding is critical for the project .
• He left a case containing critical documents on the train .
• Continual stirring is critical to a good custard .
• all-important
• at all costs idiom
• be a matter of life and/or death idiom
• last but not least idiom
• life-altering
• life-and-death
• principally

critical adjective ( SERIOUS )

• battered child syndrome
• battered woman syndrome
• be in the wars idiom
• first degree
• flesh wound
• fourth degree
• incapacitate
• personal injury

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Critical | american dictionary, critical adjective ( very bad ), critical adjective ( judging entertainment ), critical adjective ( disapproving person ), critical | business english, examples of critical, translations of critical.

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actions that are intended to make something happen more slowly, in order to win an advantage

It’s not really my thing (How to say you don’t like something)

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• critical (NOT PLEASED)
• critical (GIVING OPINIONS)
• critical (IMPORTANT)
• critical (SERIOUS)
• critical (VERY BAD)
• critical (JUDGING ENTERTAINMENT)
• critical (DISAPPROVING PERSON)
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Definition of critical adjective from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.)  

Ian buchanan.

This is the most wide-ranging and up-to-date dictionary of critical theory available, covering the whole range of critical theory, including the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, gender studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, and sociopolitical critical theory. Entries clearly explain even the most complex of theoretical discourses, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, and postmodernism. There are also biographies of important figures in the field, with feature entries for those who have heavily influenced areas of the discipline.

Covering all aspects of the subject from globalization and race studies, to queer theory and feminism, this multidisciplinary A-Z is essential for students of literary and cultural studies and is useful for anyone studying a humanity subject requiring a knowledge of theory.

Bibliographic Information

Affiliations are at time of print publication..

Ian Buchanan is Director of the Institute for Social Transformation Research at the University of Wollongong. He has authored or edited over a dozen books as well as special issues of journals, as well as founding the journal Deleuze Studies .

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aboriginality

Absent cause, abstractionism, active and reactive, actor-network theory, actual and virtual, adorno, theodor, affective fallacy, agamben, giorgio, alienation-effect, alternate modernity, front matter, publishing information, general links for this work, introduction.

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date: 03 September 2024

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