Phrase guide

thought experiment

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

An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, natural-sciences, philosophy, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A calque of German Gedankenexperiment.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 思想實驗 /思想实验 (sīxiǎng shíyàn) — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Czech: myšlenkový experiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Danish: tankeeksperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Estonian: mõtteline eksperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Finnish: ajatuskoe — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • French: exercice mental — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • French: expérience imaginaire — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • French: expérience de pensée — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • German: Gedankenexperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Hungarian: gondolatkísérlet — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Italian: esperimento mentale — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Japanese: 思考実験 (shikō jikken) — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tankeeksperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tankeeksperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Polish: eksperyment myślowy — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Romanian: experiment mintal — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Romanian: experiment de gândire — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Romanian: experiment intelectic — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Russian: мы́сленный экспериме́нт (mýslennyj eksperimént) — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Spanish: experimento mental — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Spanish: experimento pensado — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Swedish: tankeexperiment — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination
  • Turkish: düşünce deneyi — attempt to solve a problem using human imagination