"thought experiment" meaning in English

See thought experiment in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: thought experiments [plural]
Etymology: A calque of German Gedankenexperiment. Etymology templates: {{calque|en|de|Gedankenexperiment|nocap=1}} calque of German Gedankenexperiment Head templates: {{en-noun}} thought experiment (plural thought experiments)
  1. (physics, philosophy) An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination. Wikipedia link: thought experiment Categories (topical): Philosophy, Physics Derived forms: zombie thought experiment Translations (attempt to solve a problem using human imagination): 思想實驗 (Chinese Mandarin), 思想实验 (sīxiǎng shíyàn) (Chinese Mandarin), myšlenkový experiment [masculine] (Czech), tankeeksperiment [neuter] (Danish), mõtteline eksperiment (Estonian), ajatuskoe (Finnish), exercice mental [masculine] (French), expérience imaginaire [feminine] (French), expérience de pensée [feminine] (French), Gedankenexperiment [neuter] (German), gondolatkísérlet (Hungarian), esperimento mentale [masculine] (Italian), 思考実験 (shikō jikken) (alt: しこうじっけん) (Japanese), tankeeksperiment [neuter] (Norwegian Bokmål), tankeeksperiment [neuter] (Norwegian Nynorsk), eksperyment myślowy [masculine] (Polish), experiment mintal [neuter] (Romanian), experiment de gândire [neuter] (Romanian), experiment intelectic [neuter] (Romanian), мы́сленный экспериме́нт (mýslennyj eksperimént) [masculine] (Russian), experimento mental [masculine] (Spanish), experimento pensado (Spanish), tankeexperiment [neuter] (Swedish)

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for thought experiment meaning in English (5.5kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Gedankenexperiment",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "calque of German Gedankenexperiment",
      "name": "calque"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "A calque of German Gedankenexperiment.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "thought experiments",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "thought experiment (plural thought experiments)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant transliterations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Philosophy",
          "orig": "en:Philosophy",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Physics",
          "orig": "en:Physics",
          "parents": [
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "zombie thought experiment"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination."
      ],
      "id": "en-thought_experiment-en-noun-T-ciTsCj",
      "links": [
        [
          "physics",
          "physics"
        ],
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "power",
          "power"
        ],
        [
          "human",
          "human"
        ],
        [
          "imagination",
          "imagination"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(physics, philosophy) An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "natural-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "physical-sciences",
        "physics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "思想實驗"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "sīxiǎng shíyàn",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "思想实验"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "myšlenkový experiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "tankeeksperiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "mõtteline eksperiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "ajatuskoe"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "exercice mental"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "expérience imaginaire"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "expérience de pensée"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Gedankenexperiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "gondolatkísérlet"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "esperimento mentale"
        },
        {
          "alt": "しこうじっけん",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "shikō jikken",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "思考実験"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "tankeeksperiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "tankeeksperiment"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "eksperyment myślowy"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "experiment mintal"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "experiment de gândire"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "experiment intelectic"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "mýslennyj eksperimént",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мы́сленный экспериме́нт"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "experimento mental"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "word": "experimento pensado"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "tankeexperiment"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "thought experiment"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "thought experiment"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "zombie thought experiment"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Gedankenexperiment",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "calque of German Gedankenexperiment",
      "name": "calque"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "A calque of German Gedankenexperiment.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "thought experiments",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "thought experiment (plural thought experiments)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English calques",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms calqued from German",
        "English terms derived from German",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
        "en:Philosophy",
        "en:Physics"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "physics",
          "physics"
        ],
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "power",
          "power"
        ],
        [
          "human",
          "human"
        ],
        [
          "imagination",
          "imagination"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(physics, philosophy) An attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "natural-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "physical-sciences",
        "physics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "thought experiment"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "思想實驗"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "sīxiǎng shíyàn",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "思想实验"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "myšlenkový experiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tankeeksperiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "mõtteline eksperiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "ajatuskoe"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "exercice mental"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "expérience imaginaire"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "expérience de pensée"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Gedankenexperiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "gondolatkísérlet"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "esperimento mentale"
    },
    {
      "alt": "しこうじっけん",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "shikō jikken",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "思考実験"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tankeeksperiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tankeeksperiment"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "eksperyment myślowy"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "experiment mintal"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "experiment de gândire"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "experiment intelectic"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "mýslennyj eksperimént",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мы́сленный экспериме́нт"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "experimento mental"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "word": "experimento pensado"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "attempt to solve a problem using human imagination",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tankeexperiment"
    }
  ],
  "word": "thought experiment"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.