intuition

[ in-too-ish-uhn, -tyoo- ]

noun

1. direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.
2. a fact, truth, etc., perceived in this way.
3. a keen and quick insight.
4. the quality or ability of having such direct perception or quick insight.
5. Philosophy.
   1. an immediate cognition of an object not inferred or determined by a previous cognition of the same object.
   2. any object or truth so discerned.
   3. pure, untaught, noninferential knowledge.
6. Linguistics. the ability of the native speaker to make linguistic judgments, as of the grammaticality, ambiguity, equivalence, or nonequivalence of sentences, deriving from the speaker's native-language competence.

intuition

/ ˌɪntjʊˈɪʃən /

noun

1. knowledge or belief obtained neither by reason nor by perception
2. instinctive knowledge or belief
3. a hunch or unjustified belief
4. philosophy immediate knowledge of a proposition or object such as Kant's account of our knowledge of sensible objects
5. the supposed faculty or process by which we obtain any of these

Derived Forms

• ˌintuˈitional, adjective
• ˌintuˈitionally, adverb

Other Words From

• intu·ition·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intuition¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin intuitiōn-, stem of intuitiō “contemplation,” equivalent to Latin intuit(us), past participle of intuērī “to gaze at, contemplate” + -iō -ion; in- ², tuition

Word History and Origins

Origin of intuition¹

C15: from Late Latin intuitiō a contemplation, from Latin intuērī to gaze upon, from tuērī to look at

Example Sentences

“He brought a lot of knowledge and intuition to our coaches and players,” Orgeron told the Times’ Gary Klein.

From Los Angeles Times

It's done very much on feeling and the kind of technique and logic of cooking applied to feeling and intuition.

From Salon

I cook with a sense of intuition, passion and style and that's the foundation of the restaurant we've created.

From Salon

McLaren notes "Trump is speaking to an audience that since 2016 has come to share Trump’s worldview, his political intuition, his apprehension of the world, what the Germans call Weltanschauung and has created a visceral, almost savage bond with the aspiring dictator."

From Salon

A moral intuition is a value that is not fully conscious and is the unexamined foundation of many seemingly distinct issues, such as immigration, gender and sexual beliefs and the need to censor.

From Salon

Related Words

• hunch
• instinct