Dictionary

thinker en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈθɪŋ.kɚ] ~ [ˈθɪŋ.kɹ̩] (General-American)
• /ˈθɪŋ.kə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈθɪŋ.kɚ/ (General-American)
• [ˈθɪŋ.kə] (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English thinkere, equivalent to think + -er. Compare West Frisian tinker (“thinker”), Dutch denker (“thinker”), German Denker (“thinker”), Danish tænker (“thinker”), Swedish tänkare (“thinker”).

Meanings

1. One who spends time thinking, contemplating or meditating.
   • The doer and the thinker No allowance for the other. 1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull:
2. An intellectual, such as a philosopher or theologian.
   • From his studies of these thinkers and activists, Mr. Obama took what he called the “Niebuhrian” lesson that we can have “a cleareyed view of the world and the realities of cruelty and sin and greed and violence, and yet, still maintain a sense of hope and possibility, as an act of will and leap of faith.” 2020 December 8, Michiko Kakutani, “Obama, the Best-Selling Author, on Reading, Writing and Radical Empathy”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
3. (slang) The brain; the mind.
   • "Well, I tried to do like you and grandfather say; don't use my thinker, use imagination." 2011, Arthur Kornhaber, Rosie's Miracle: A Novel, page 271:
4. (slang) A poser; a conundrum that requires some thinking.
   • HANK: The NRA is a Washington D.C. based organization. Are you telling me you support Washington D.C.? DALE: That's a thinker. 1997, "How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying" (King of the Hill TV series, season 2 episode 1)

Forms

Deriveds

doublethinker · groupthinker · nonthinker · freethinker · wishful thinker · master thinker · lateral thinker · unthinker · deep thinker · wrongthinker

Translations (165)

uz mutafakkir (intellectual) · hy մտածող (one who spends time thinking) · th นักคิด (intellectual) · gl pensadora (one who spends time thinking) · nn tenkjar (intellectual) · pl myślicielka (intellectual) · de Denkerin (one who spends time thinking) · tr düşünür (intellectual) · ro intelectuală (intellectual) · pt pensadora (intellectual) · kmr ramanvan (intellectual) · pt pensador (one who spends time thinking) · sk mysliteľka (intellectual) · fr penseuse (intellectual) · be мысьлі́целька (intellectual) · et mõtleja (intellectual) · tr düşünücü (intellectual) · be мысьлі́цель (one who spends time thinking) · ru мысли́тель (one who spends time thinking) · vi nhà tư tưởng (intellectual) · yi דענקער (one who spends time thinking) · mr विचारक (one who spends time thinking) · hy մտածող (intellectual) · ms cendekiawati (intellectual) · cmn 思想者 (one who spends time thinking) · bg мисли́тел (one who spends time thinking) · be мысля́рка (intellectual) · cmn 思想家 (intellectual) · fr penseuse (one who spends time thinking) · be мыслі́цель (one who spends time thinking) · ro gânditor (intellectual) · ca pensador (intellectual) · bg мисли́телка (intellectual) · es pensadora (intellectual) · mk мислителка (one who spends time thinking) · fr intellectuelle (intellectual) · pl myślicielka (one who spends time thinking) · be мыслі́целька (intellectual) · sh mìslilac (one who spends time thinking) · fa اندیشمند (intellectual) · be мысьля́рка (one who spends time thinking) · ps متفکر (intellectual) · it pensatrice (one who spends time thinking) · nn tenkar (one who spends time thinking) · kk ойшыл (intellectual) · sh mìslitelj (intellectual) · ja 思想家 (intellectual) · es pensador (one who spends time thinking) · sh mìslitelj (one who spends time thinking) · be мысьля́р (intellectual) · lv domātājs (intellectual) · be мысьлі́целька (one who spends time thinking) · hi विचारक (intellectual) · be мыслі́целька (one who spends time thinking) · es pensadora (one who spends time thinking) · fa متفکر (intellectual) · cs myslitel (one who spends time thinking) · ms ahli fikir (intellectual) · ug مۇتەپەككۇر (intellectual) · ar مُفَكِّر (intellectual) · be мысьлі́цель (intellectual) · ky ойчул (intellectual) · fa مفکر (intellectual) · be мысьля́рка (intellectual) · ps مفکر (intellectual) · ru мысли́тельница (one who spends time thinking) · az mütəfəkkir (one who spends time thinking) · cs myslitelka (intellectual) · gl pensador (one who spends time thinking) · ru интеллектуа́л (intellectual) · ja 思想家 (one who spends time thinking) · ka ინტელექტუალი (intellectual) · fr penseur (one who spends time thinking) · ka მოაზროვნე (intellectual) · is hugsuður (intellectual) · ru мысли́тель (intellectual) · cs myslitelka (one who spends time thinking) · sh mìslilac (intellectual) · it pensatrice (intellectual) · ar مُفَكِّر (one who spends time thinking) · uk мисли́тель (one who spends time thinking) · yi דענקער (intellectual) · nb tenker (one who spends time thinking) · mk мислителка (intellectual) · tl palaisip (intellectual) · be мыслі́цель (intellectual) · he אָדָם חוֹשֵׁב (one who spends time thinking) · it pensatore (intellectual) · sk mysliteľka (one who spends time thinking) · sh мѝслилац (intellectual) · pt intelectual (intellectual) · be мысля́рка (one who spends time thinking) · ru мысли́тельница (intellectual) · lt mąstytojas (intellectual) · km ចិន្តបណ្ឌិត (intellectual) · kk ойлаушы (intellectual) · sw mfikiriaji (intellectual) · pt pensadora (one who spends time thinking) · sl mislec (one who spends time thinking) · sl mislec (intellectual) · nl denker (intellectual) · pt pensador (intellectual) · be мысьля́р (one who spends time thinking) · sh мѝслитељ (one who spends time thinking) · lo ນັກຄິດ (intellectual) · bg мисли́тел (intellectual) · ko 사상가 (intellectual) · nl denker (one who spends time thinking) · sh мѝслилац (one who spends time thinking) · fr intellectuel (intellectual) · pl myśliciel (one who spends time thinking) · mr विचारवंत (intellectual) · cs myslitel (intellectual) · sk mysliteľ (intellectual) · tr mütefekkir (intellectual) · ko 사상가 (one who spends time thinking) · az mütəfəkkir (intellectual) · ro intelectual (intellectual) · da tænker (intellectual) · sk mysliteľ (one who spends time thinking) · sh мѝслитељ (intellectual) · mk мислител (intellectual) · de Denker (one who spends time thinking) · fi ajattelija (one who spends time thinking) · bg мисли́телка (one who spends time thinking) · ka მოფიქრალი (one who spends time thinking) · kmr mifekir (intellectual) · hu gondolkodó (one who spends time thinking) · be мысля́р (intellectual) · txb pälskauca (intellectual) · it pensatore (one who spends time thinking) · sw mfikiriaji (one who spends time thinking) · ro gânditoare (intellectual) · txb pälskauca (one who spends time thinking) · nb tenker (intellectual) · ca pensador (one who spends time thinking) · fi intellektuelli (intellectual) · uk мисли́телька (one who spends time thinking) · mk мислител (one who spends time thinking) · pl intelektualista (intellectual) · uk мисли́тель (intellectual) · de Denkerin (intellectual) · be мысля́р (one who spends time thinking) · pl myśliciel (intellectual) · uz fikrlovchi (one who spends time thinking) · pl intelektualistka (intellectual) · ms pemikir (one who spends time thinking) · fi ajattelija (intellectual) · id pemikir (one who spends time thinking) · sv tänkare (intellectual) · ru интеллектуа́лка (intellectual) · de Denker (intellectual) · ka მოაზროვნე (one who spends time thinking) · nn tenkar (intellectual) · sv tänkare (one who spends time thinking) · nl intellectueel (intellectual) · fr penseur (intellectual) · aii ܪܲܢܵܝܵܐ (one who spends time thinking) · da tænker (one who spends time thinking) · nn tenkjar (one who spends time thinking) · it intellettuale (intellectual) · uk мисли́телька (intellectual) · es pensador (intellectual) · ms cendekiawan (intellectual) · tg мутафаккир (intellectual)