What does brainstorming mean?
Brainstorming is a widely used method of creative problem solving in which a group generates as many ideas as possible within a short time, deliberately postponing any evaluation or criticism until later. The technique rests on the principle that quantity breeds quality: by encouraging free-flowing, uninhibited suggestions — however unconventional — participants build on one another's thinking and uncover solutions that structured discussion might miss. First popularized in the 1940s and 1950s by American advertising executive Alex Osborn, brainstorming has since become a fixture of business meetings, classrooms, design workshops, and product development around the world. While critics note that groups can sometimes produce fewer original ideas than individuals working alone, the practice remains valued for fostering collaboration, surfacing diverse perspectives, and giving every participant an equal chance to contribute. Today the word also loosely describes any informal effort to generate ideas, whether in a team or alone.
nounA group problem-solving technique in which participants spontaneously suggest as many ideas as possible, deferring judgment until all contributions have been collected. It also refers more generally to any session or process of generating ideas in this free-flowing way.
- A collaborative technique for generating many ideas rapidly while withholding criticism or evaluation.
- An informal term for any session devoted to producing ideas in this open-ended way.
"The marketing team spent the afternoon brainstorming slogans for the new campaign."
"During the brainstorming session, even outlandish suggestions were welcome."
"Good brainstorming requires suspending judgment until every voice has been heard."
Rarely pluralized in ordinary use; when a countable sense is needed, speakers typically say 'brainstorming sessions' instead.
"The consultant reviewed notes from several brainstormings conducted across departments."
The word was popularized by advertising executive Alex Osborn in his 1953 book 'Applied Imagination' — and he insisted that no idea could be criticized during a session until after it ended.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brainstorming
The noun 'brainstorming' derives from 'brainstorm', a term that originally denoted a sudden mental disturbance or confusion before shifting in meaning to describe a burst of creative inspiration. Advertising executive Alex F. Osborn adopted the word in the 1940s to name his structured group ideation technique, describing it fully in his 1953 book 'Applied Imagination'. The compound joins 'brain', from Old English 'brægen', with 'storm', from Old English 'storm', itself borrowed from Proto-Germanic roots. Related compounds such as 'brainwave' and 'brainchild' share this same productive pattern of figurative 'brain' formations in English.
Related word forms
How brainstorming is actually used
Neutral to positive register, used freely in business, education, and creative contexts. In some UK workplaces 'thought shower' has occasionally been preferred as a euphemism, though 'brainstorming' remains standard. The gerund form is often used verbally: 'We are brainstorming names.'
Easily confused with brainstorming
A brainstorm is a sudden clever idea (or, in older usage, a fit of mental confusion), while brainstorming is the collective process of generating many ideas without immediate criticism.