THINK TANK Definition & Meaning

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think tank

noun

a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.

think-tank

noun

informal.
a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

think tank

An institution in which scholars pursue research in public policy. Largely funded by endowments and grants, think tanks work to improve public awareness of policy issues (through publications) and to influence the government to act upon issues of national importance. ( See power elite .)

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of think tank¹

1900–05 for earlier sense “brain”; 1955–60 for current sense

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Idioms and Phrases

A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank . This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In contrast, right-wing content creators are frequently embedded within a well-funded ecosystem, backed by think tanks, billionaire donors, and political organizations that provide research, staff, and media connections.

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Wang Huiyao, a former China Communist Party member who works with the Center for China and Globalisation think tank, called on Asian countries to "work together to go through this difficult time and fight protectionism".

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According to the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank, Jaguar Land Rover and the Mini factory in Cowley, Oxford, appear to be the most exposed to US tariffs on cars.

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For added populist grist, the club is located above the Milken Institute, a think tank founded by a formerly incarcerated financier, Michael Milken, and is majority owned by Ron Burkle, a billionaire investor.

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The International Longevity Centre, a think tank, argues that the UK will have to increase the state pension age to 71 by 2050,, external to keep the cost sustainable.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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