Langimage
English

groupthink

|group/think|

C1

/ˈɡruːpˌθɪŋk/

conformity in decision-making

Etymology
Etymology Information

'groupthink' originates from English, specifically the combination of 'group' and 'think', where 'group' refers to a collection of individuals and 'think' refers to the process of considering or reasoning about something.

Historical Evolution

'groupthink' was coined in the 20th century to describe the phenomenon of collective decision-making that suppresses individual opinions.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'collective thinking', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a psychological phenomenon leading to poor decision-making'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a psychological phenomenon where the desire for harmony or conformity in a group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

The board's decision was a classic case of groupthink, as they ignored all dissenting opinions.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:39