An approach for synthesizing buckling results and behavior for thin balanced and unbalanced symmetric laminates that are subjected to nondestabilizing mechanical preloads, uniform heating or cooling, and elastically or totally restrained axial thermal expansion or contraction is presented. This approach uses a nondimensional analysis for infinitely long, flexurally anisotropic plates that are subjected to combined loads and is based on useful nondimensional parameters. In addition, a stiffness-weighted laminate coefficient of thermal expansion is derived and used to determine critical temperatures in terms of physically intuitive mechanical buckling coefficients, and the effects of membrane orthotropy and membrane anisotropy are included. Many results are presented for some common laminates that are intended to facilitate a structural designer's transition to the use of the generic buckling design curves that are presented in the article. Several generic buckling design curves are presented that provide physical insight into the buckling response in addition to providing useful design data. Examples are presented that demonstrate the use of the generic design curves. The analysis approach and generic results identify the effects and characteristics of laminate thermal expansion, membrane orthotropy and anisotropy, and flexural orthotropy and anisotropy in a very general and unifying manner.