thinking
thinking — noun
1. the mental work of forming ideas, finding solutions, or deciding between options
the mental work of forming ideas, finding solutions, or deciding between options
Minh sat quietly, deep in thought, doing some serious thinking about his career options.
collocation: deep in thought / serious thinking
Creative thinking is an essential skill for anyone working in design or marketing.
adjective + thinking: creative / critical / careful
After two hours of careful thinking, the committee reached a unanimous decision.
The doctor advised her to set aside time for calm thinking each day.
- thought
more abstract or refers to a single idea; 'thinking' emphasises the active process
- reasoning
more formal and logical; implies step-by-step deduction rather than open-ended reflection
- contemplation
slower, deeper, often with a spiritual or meditative quality
2. a person's set of opinions or the reasons they have for believing something
a person's set of opinions or the reasons they have for believing something
Isabela shared her thinking on the new policy during the staff meeting.
possessive: her thinking on [topic]
Could you explain your thinking behind the decision to close the branch office?
pattern: thinking behind [decision]
The team presented their thinking in a clear report, which the board approved quickly.
Reema asked for more time to turn her thinking into a proper proposal.
用法筆記
Commonly appears with possessive determiners (my, her, their) and prepositions on, about, or behind to introduce the topic.
常見錯誤
3. a widely held idea or belief among a particular group of people about a subject
a widely held idea or belief among a particular group of people about a subject
The current thinking among nutritionists is that whole foods are better than supplements.
pattern: current thinking + that-clause
Modern thinking in education favours project-based learning over rote memorisation.
adjective + thinking in [field]
According to traditional thinking, the ritual must be performed at sunrise to be effective.
Current thinking among paediatricians is that screen time should be limited for toddlers.
- belief
more personal and less tied to a collective perspective
- doctrine
more formal and institutional; implies a fixed system
- school of thought
a full intellectual tradition rather than a single belief
文法句型
the/current thinking + that-clause
用法筆記
Mostly used with adjectives like current, modern, traditional, conventional, or latest. The that-clause construction is especially common in academic and professional writing. Distinct from sense 2 in that it describes a shared, group-level view rather than an individual's opinion.
thinking — adjective
1. using careful thought and reason rather than acting on emotion; able to examine
using careful thought and reason rather than acting on emotion; able to examine ideas seriously
The class debates were designed to turn students into independent, thinking citizens.
attributive use: thinking citizens / thinking people
Any thinking person can see that the current recycling system needs major changes.
As a thinking person, Yael addressed the criticism with logic and evidence.
The documentary is aimed at a thinking audience who want more than simple entertainment.
- thoughtful
can be used both before and after a noun; also implies kindness and consideration
- rational
focuses on logic rather than emotion; stronger emphasis on reason
- intellectual
more formal; suggests academic or scholarly habits of mind
- thoughtless
acting without care or consideration
- emotional
driven by feelings rather than reason
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun). The noun typically refers to a person or group of people — thinking man/woman/person/audience/public. Uncommon in predicative position.