Phrase guide

school of thought

noun · 3 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

A particular way of thinking or interpretation, typically one disputed by the speaker.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Well, there are two schools of thought on that topic...

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A group of people who share common characteristics of opinion or outlook of a philosophy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Examples

  • He did not belong to the school of thought that believed Jackson Pollock to be much of an artist.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, ism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: belief

Narrower terms: nuclear deterrence, Kabbalism, Cabalism, abolitionism, absolutism, amoralism, animalism, animism, antiestablishmentarianism, antiestablishmentism, asceticism, contextualism, creationism, creed, credo, divine right, divine right of kings, dogma, dualism, dynamism, epicureanism, establishmentarianism, establishmentism, ethicism, expansionism, formalism, functionalism, Girondism, gospel, gymnosophy, imitation, individualism, laissez faire, internationalism, unilateralism, irredentism, irridentism, literalism, majority rule, democracy, monism, multiculturalism, nationalism, nihilism, pacifism, pacificism, passivism, pluralism, populism, presentism, rationalism, freethinking, reformism, humanism, secular humanism, humanitarianism, egalitarianism, equalitarianism, feminism, reincarnationism, secessionism, secularism, phenomenology, philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory, states' rights, teaching, precept, commandment, theological doctrine, utilitarianism, descriptivism, prescriptivism, religious doctrine, church doctrine, millennium

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 學派 /学派 (xuépài) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 流派 (liúpài) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 派別 /派别 (pàibié) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Dutch: denkrichting — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Dutch: school — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Dutch: stroming — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Esperanto: skolo — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Finnish: koulukunta — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • French: école de pensée — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • French: courant de pensée — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Galician: escola de pensamento — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • German: Schule — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • German: wissenschaftliche Schule — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • German: Denkschule — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Ancient Greek: αἵρεσις (haíresis) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Indonesian: aliran — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Indonesian: mazhab — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Italian: scuola di pensiero — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Japanese: 学派 (gakuha) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Japanese: 流派 (ryūha) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Korean: 학파 (hakpa) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Polish: szkoła — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Portuguese: escola de pensamento — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Russian: шко́ла (škóla) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Russian: шко́ла мы́сли (škóla mýsli) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Russian: нау́чная шко́ла (naúčnaja škóla) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Spanish: escuela de pensamiento — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Swedish: lära — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Swedish: doktrin — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Ukrainian: школа (škola) — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group
  • Vietnamese: trường phái — opinion subscribed to by some connected or arbitrary group