Critical Thinking Process Words
1. Reasoning & Argument
Words used to advance, qualify, or challenge ideas.
- assert
- contend
- defend
- refute
- justify
- concede
- qualify
- substantiate
- undermine
- reconcile
2. Analysis & Interpretation
Words used to examine meaning, structure, or implication.
- analyze
- infer
- interpret
- synthesize
- evaluate
- examine
- discern
- contextualize
- extrapolate
- explicate
3. Comparison, Distinction & Nuance
Words used to mark similarity, difference, and subtlety.
- contrast
- analogous
- disparity
- distinction
- nuance
- analogous
- comparable
- divergent
- parallel
- incongruous
4. Description & Characterization
Words used to describe people, actions, or situations precisely.
- churlish
- bellicose
- magnanimous
- austere
- flippant
- restrained
- volatile
- measured
- conciliatory
- abrasive
5. Tone, Attitude & Stance
Words that signal posture toward ideas or others.
- sardonic
- earnest
- dismissive
- tentative
- impartial
- skeptical
- dogmatic
- conciliatory
- cynical
- resolute
6. Abstract Academic Concepts
Words that name ideas rather than concrete things.
- integrity
- ambiguity
- agency
- coherence
- validity
- significance
- ideology
- paradigm
- complexity
- constraint
7. Process, Structure & Organization
Words that describe how ideas or systems are arranged.
- framework
- hierarchy
- sequence
- mechanism
- paradigm
- methodology
- synthesis
- progression
- structure
- model
8. Evaluation, Degree & Judgment
Words used to assess quality, intensity, or value.
- trivial
- substantial
- marginal
- excessive
- deficient
- credible
- tenuous
- compelling
- flawed
- exemplary
9. Human Disposition & Social Behavior
Words often used in literature, history, and argument.
- compliant
- defiant
- submissive
- obstinate
- conciliatory
- opportunistic
- empathetic
- manipulative
- principled
- self-serving