Critical Thinking Lexical Commons +

3. the relationships among signs in formal structures (like grammar or logic).
7. Temporary support for something becoming itself
13. When an explanation does more work than the evidence supports; the bridge is longer than the piers.
15. An “ought” that sneaks in wearing the clothes of a “this is how it is.”
19. When something is evaluated or explained in the wrong register (evolution as purpose; biology as destiny; description as norm).
20. the relationship between signs and what they refer to (meaning).
22. What a framework cannot see because of its own commitments (e.g., gendered, neurotypical, academic defaults).
23. concerned with the nature of being, existence, or what there is.
24. To spread apart, branch off, or diverge widely.
25. Providing support or assistance; supplementary.
26. how meaning is shaped by **context**—not just by the words or signs themselves, but by the **situation**, **intention**, **relationship between speaker and listener**, and **shared knowledge**.
27. Characterized by deep or prolonged thought.
28. Multiple inferential steps collapsed into a single, confident gesture.
29. Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

1. A useful lens mistaken for a causal account.
2. Patterns are evocative and suggestive, but the connective tissue is missing.
4. the study of signs and symbols, and how they are used to communicate meaning.
5. When descriptive claims about “what is” quietly carry value judgments about “what is better, deeper, truer.”
6. Dark, shadowy, or obscure; lacking clarity.
8. The tendency of an idea to pull nearby claims into its orbit, whether they belong there or not.
9. Serving as a practical method for problem-solving or learning, not guaranteed to be optimal or correct.
10. Most noticeable or important; prominent.
11. When elegance, erudition, or beauty does the convincing instead of argument.
12. When a way of being that suits a particular temperament is treated as broadly authoritative.
14. Careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences; prudent.
16. A mythical spirit of the air in Renaissance and later European folklore; often depicted as a slender, graceful, and ethereal being associated with wind or atmosphere.
17. A detailed discussion or digression in a text, usually addressing a related but non-central topic.
18. Relating to a transitional or initial stage; occupying a position at or on a boundary or threshold.
21. The felt sense that a description matches lived experience, independent of whether its explanation is correct.