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

Other Word Forms

• intuitionless adjective
• intuitional adjective
• intuitionally adverb

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

“I think my intuition was like, hey, girl, you need to protect your reproductive options,” she said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I follow my intuition and turn, only for my father’s jacket to get ripped off me.

Read more on Literature

Especially if it’s new grief, trust your intuition for what you need in that moment.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

All of this has led to a hormone craze, where consumers are following their intuition and taking a D.I.Y. approach to their health.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Anti-intellectualism, anti-rationalism and feverish emotion: These traits best express themselves in a hatred of universities, science and learning more generally, and a superstitious embrace of faith, intuition and gut feelings.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• hunch 
• instinct