THINK TANK Definition & Meaning

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think tank

noun

a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.

think-tank

noun

informal��a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

think tank

An institution in which scholars pursue research in public policy. Largely funded by endowments and grants, think tanks work to improve public awareness of policy issues (through publications) and to influence the government to act upon issues of national importance. (See power elite.)

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of think tank¹

1900–05 for earlier sense “brain”; 1955–60 for current sense

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Idioms and Phrases

A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank. This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Mr Spencer, who is now head of crime and justice for the centre-right Policy Exchange think tank, says demands on police time have risen dramatically.

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"I don't think any Australian should feel that our ally is fully committed to our security at this moment," says Sam Roggeveen, who leads the security programme at Australia's Lowy Institute think tank.

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Last month, a federal suit was filed by a Texas-based conservative think tank on behalf of plaintiffs to invalidate the Chuckwalla monument, arguing Biden had overstepped his authority when he created it.

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“You have this pool of human resources that is poorly compensated and not utilized to their full potential,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia analyst with the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit think tank.

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There will be reams of statistics, produced by government, and the official number crunchers, the OBR, and then days of analysis by think tanks and experts in the aftermath.

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think positive think the world of

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