lateral thinking

[lat-er-uhl thing-king] / ˈlæt ər əl ˈθɪŋ kɪŋ /

NOUN

problem-solving heuristic

Synonyms

WEAK

association of ideas idea association intuition intuitive reason meditation word association

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He tries to measure “lateral thinking and processing speed,” he says, traits that can lead to strong gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said the children were taught "maths, English and lateral thinking" in the mornings, then "booted out" to explore the island.

From BBC

"The four contestants were as competitive as anyone I've tested before, and they demonstrated different ways of lateral thinking, as well as some creative interpretations of my rules," he said.

From BBC

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

From BBC

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

From BBC