lateral thinking

[ lat-er-uhl thing-king ]

noun

1. an approach to problem solving that involves nontraditional thought processes such as free association of ideas, creative analogy, pattern recognition, intuition, etc.: Compare vertical thinking.

   This position requires lateral thinking, collaborative skills, and the ability to deal with ambiguity.

lateral thinking

noun

1. a way of solving problems by rejecting traditional methods and employing unorthodox and apparently illogical means

Word History and Origins

Origin of lateral thinking¹

Coined in 1967 by Maltese psychologist E. de Bono (1933–2021)

Example Sentences

If these sorts of solutions to geological problems seem to come from left field, Dr. Petermann and Dr. Fastovsky both point out, that’s because they take a certain amount of lateral thinking to invent.

From New York Times

The intelligence agency said pupils would need to employ all their skills of lateral thinking, ingenuity and perseverance to be successful.

From BBC

He also said that dyslexic people’s ability to “think differently”, with a higher likelihood of having skills like visualisation and lateral thinking, was becoming more highly prized by employers.

From The Guardian

Mr Godfrey said it was a "complicated exercise", but previously there was simply a lack of lateral thinking, across multiple disciplines, to bring this together.

From BBC

American-style crosswords, on the other hand, require both knowledge and a degree of lateral thinking.

From BBC