Critical thinking involves reaching conclusions and then presenting your conclusions together with your reasoning. Regarding conclusions, this lesson introduce nomenclature for describing conclusions.

Conclusion (Definition)

A conclusion is the final decision or judgment reached after consideration or analysis.

Examples

1. A jury concluded that a defendant was guilty.

2. A couple decided to purchase a new car.

3. A teenager decided to take advanced placement math.

Synonyms

People use many different words to refer to conclusions. Here are some of them: recommendation, answer, findings, opinion, belief, claim, and so on.

Rationale

There are many opportunities per day to practice applying critical thinking by using a systematic (step-by-step) process. The key to unlock this opportunity is to recognize these opportunities. In simple terms, anytime an actor (person or group) is striving to reach a conclusion is an opportunity to practice critical thinking.