yvlog

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

lateral thinking

[ lat-er-uhl thing-king ]

noun

  1. an approach to problem solving that involves nontraditional thought processes such as free association of ideas, creative analogy, pattern recognition, intuition, etc.: Compare vertical thinking.

    This position requires lateral thinking, collaborative skills, and the ability to deal with ambiguity.



lateral thinking

noun

  1. a way of solving problems by rejecting traditional methods and employing unorthodox and apparently illogical means
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

yvlog History and Origins

Origin of lateral thinking1

Coined in 1967 by Maltese psychologist E. de Bono (1933–2021)
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This year the public has been challenged to decode the names of UK landmarks, testing skills including codebreaking, maths and lateral thinking.

From

This year's puzzle challenges the public to decode the names of UK landmarks, testing skills like codebreaking, maths and lateral thinking.

From

If these sorts of solutions to geological problems seem to come from left field, Dr. Petermann and Dr. Fastovsky both point out, that’s because they take a certain amount of lateral thinking to invent.

From

The intelligence agency said pupils would need to employ all their skills of lateral thinking, ingenuity and perseverance to be successful.

From

He also said that dyslexic people’s ability to “think differently”, with a higher likelihood of having skills like visualisation and lateral thinking, was becoming more highly prized by employers.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement