intuition

American  

[in-too-ish-uhn, -tyoo-] / ˌɪn tuˈɪʃ ən, -tyu- /

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.

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intuition British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• intuitional adjective
• intuitionally adverb
• intuitionless adjective

Etymology

Origin of intuition

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

Example Sentences

Villarreal: How do you know to trust your intuition that it’s not right versus am I just uncomfortable and I need to figure out if this is the challenge that I actually am after?

From Los Angeles Times

In both cases, "you have to be in sync with your own intuition... you have to believe in what you feel," she said.

From Barron's

"That's something you wouldn't expect because people's intuition goes the opposite way. And in fact, that intuition is often wrong."

From Science Daily

It means making software quickly and creatively using intuition rather than a formal plan.

From Barron's

“I’m thinking it’s St. Helens,” countered Malone, his intuition coming from years working around the mountains.

From Literature

Related Words

• hunch
• instinct