gumption

American  

[guhmp-shuhn] / ˈgʌmp ʃən /

noun

Informal.

1. initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness.

   With his gumption he'll make a success of himself.

2. courage; spunk; guts.

   It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job.

3. Chiefly British Dialect.  common sense; shrewdness.

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gumption British  

/ ˈɡʌmpʃən /

noun

1. common sense or resourcefulness

2. initiative or courage

   you haven't the gumption to try

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Other Word Forms

• gumptionless adjective
• gumptious adjective

Etymology

Origin of gumption

1710–20; originally Scots

Example Sentences

But the strange thing is that there’s another significant factor that will determine the outcome this weekend, and this one is the polar opposite of guts and gumption.

From The Wall Street Journal

Political parties, though, like companies, can’t survive simply on the gumption of the person at the top.

From Salon

Now it is down to cricket's governors to show the required guts and gumption.

From BBC

Shelley is overeager and desperate; he just lacks Jimmy’s/Saul’s imagination and gumption.

From Los Angeles Times

These days, we need more gumption and electrolytes to check CNN than we do to climb Everest.

From Salon

Related Words

• acumen
• cleverness
• courage
• good sense
• initiative
• resourcefulness
• savvy
• shrewdness