Critical Thinking Key Terms 2026

argument

the act of presenting a conclusion and backing it up with reasons that lead logically to the conclusion

audience

the people that the author wants to present the argument to

case

a set of arguments

case study

subjects being studied in detail over a long period of time

cause/effect

the type of reasoning which argues that something has or will bring about something else

comparison/analogy reasoning

the type of reasoning which argues that if two cases are alike in some ways, they will be alike in other ways

con

term which means "against" an argument

fact

a statement that can be proven through experimentation, observation, or practical experience

fallacy

an error in thinking

jargon

the needless use of big words to make the argument sound more impressive

observable incidents

evidence that can be seen directly

opinion

a statement that can not be proven through experimentation, observation, or practical experience

primary source

source of eyewitness information

pro

term which means "for" an argument

secondary source

source of information not gained from an eyewitness

statistics

numbers that are used to provide information about a topic

testimony of experts

information from people who spend a major part of their lives studying a topic

thesis

one term for the main part of an argument

sample/generalization reasoning

the type of reasoning that if something is true for some, it will be true for all

assumption

something not stated but taken for granted