wishful thinking
noun
interpretation of facts, actions, words, etc., as one would like them to be rather than as they really are; imagining as actual what is not.
Origin of wishful thinking
First recorded in 1925–30
OTHER WORDS FROM wishful thinking
wishful thinker, nounWords nearby wishful thinking
wish on,
wish-wash,
wishbone,
wishbone boom,
wishful,
wishful thinking,
wishing well,
wisht,
wishy-washy,
wiskott-aldrich syndrome,
wislany zalew
British Dictionary definitions for wishful thinking
wishful thinking
noun
the erroneous belief that one's wishes are in accordance with reality
Derived forms of wishful thinking
wishful thinker, nounIdioms and Phrases with wishful thinking
wishful thinking
Interpreting matters as one would like them to be, as opposed to what they really are. For example, Matthew wanted to be a basketball player, but with his height that was wishful thinking. This term comes from Freudian psychology of the mid-1920s and soon began to be used more loosely.