seat-of-the-pants

[ seet-uhv-thuh-pants ]

adjective

1. using or based on experience, instinct, or guesswork:

   a seat-of-the-pants management style.

2. done without the aid of instruments:

   The pilot made a seat-of-the-pants landing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of seat-of-the-pants¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Then, since they don’t use any actual method or research for those judgments, it’s entirely their seat-of-the-pants opinion about what Americans would do.

From Slate

In these journals — a collection of notebooks in Biden’s case — they confide to themselves, express raw opinions, trace even the humdrum habits of their day and offer seat-of-the-pants insight on monumental decisions of their time.

From Seattle Times

Beyond Trump’s built-in advantages, a massive and ongoing effort on his behalf in Iowa reflects the campaign’s realization - especially compared to his seat-of-the-pants 2016 effort - that turning out many thousands of Iowans to caucus on a cold January night requires intense organizing.

From Washington Times

Beyond Trump’s built-in advantages, a massive and ongoing effort on his behalf in Iowa reflects the campaign’s realization — especially compared to his seat-of-the-pants 2016 effort — that turning out many thousands of Iowans to caucus on a cold January night requires intense organizing.

From Seattle Times

Unlike his seat-of-the-pants campaign in 2016, Trump’s team is using the candidate’s celebrity to draw interested Republicans and track interest in supporting him in the leadoff caucuses set for Jan. 15.

From Washington Times