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gumption
[ guhmp-shuhn ]
/ ˈgʌmp ʃən /
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noun Informal.
initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness: With his gumption he'll make a success of himself.
courage; spunk; guts: It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job.
Chiefly British Dialect. common sense; shrewdness.
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Origin of gumption
1710–20; originally Scots
OTHER WORDS FROM gumption
gump·tion·less, adjectivegumptious, adjectiveWords nearby gumption
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gumption in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for gumption
gumption
/ (ˈɡʌmpʃən) /
noun informal
British common sense or resourcefulness
initiative or courageyou haven't the gumption to try
Word Origin for gumption
C18: originally Scottish, of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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