Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "wakilin tunani" yana nufin ginin fahimi ko siffar tunani wanda ke wakiltar wani abu a cikin duniya, kamar abu, lamari, ra'ayi, ko dangantaka. Ma'anar tunani shine tsarin tunani wanda ke ba mu damar yin tunani da hulɗa tare da duniyar da ke kewaye da mu, kuma za su iya ɗaukar nau'o'i da yawa, ciki har da hotuna na tunani, ra'ayoyi, shawarwari, da makirci. ana amfani da ma'anar wakilcin tunani sau da yawa don bayyana hanyoyin da muke adanawa da sarrafa bayanai a cikin zukatanmu, da kuma yadda muke amfani da wannan bayanin don fahimtar duniya da jagoranci halayenmu. Ana tsammanin wakilcin tunani zai taka muhimmiyar rawa a yawancin matakai na fahimi, gami da fahimta, ƙwaƙwalwa, harshe, warware matsala, da yanke shawara.