gumption

[guhmp-shuhn]

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.

gumption

/ ˈɡʌmpʃən /

noun

1. common sense or resourcefulness

2. initiative or courage

   you haven't the gumption to try

Other Word Forms

• gumptionless adjective
• gumptious adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gumption¹

1710–20; originally Scots

Word History and Origins

Origin of gumption¹

C18: originally Scottish, of unknown origin

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.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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

Read more on Salon

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

Read more on BBC

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

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• acumen 
• cleverness www.thesaurus.com
• courage 
• good sense www.thesaurus.com
• initiative 
• resourcefulness www.thesaurus.com
• savvy 
• shrewdness