Standard Lemma guide

metacognition

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of thinking about thinking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: metathinking, metathought

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *meth2? Ancient Greek μετᾰ́ (metắ) Ancient Greek μετᾰ- (metă-)lbor. English meta- English cognition English metacognition From meta- + cognition.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: metacognició — thinking about thinking
  • Chinese Mandarin: 後設認知 /后设认知 (hòushè rènzhī) — thinking about thinking
  • Chinese Mandarin: 元認知 /元认知 (yuánrènzhī) — thinking about thinking
  • Estonian: metakognitsioon — thinking about thinking
  • Finnish: metakognitio — thinking about thinking
  • French: métacognition — thinking about thinking
  • German: Metakognition — thinking about thinking
  • Italian: metacognizione — thinking about thinking
  • Japanese: メタ認知 (meta ninchi) — thinking about thinking
  • Kazakh: метатаным (metatanym) — thinking about thinking
  • Polish: metakognicja — thinking about thinking
  • Portuguese: metacognição — thinking about thinking
  • Spanish: metacognición — thinking about thinking
  • Swedish: metakognition — thinking about thinking
  • Vietnamese: siêu nhận thức — thinking about thinking