sixth sense

noun

1. a power of perception beyond the five senses; intuition.

   His sixth sense warned him to be cautious.

sixth sense

noun

1. any supposed sense or means of perception, such as intuition or clairvoyance, other than the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell

Word History and Origins

Origin of sixth sense¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Idioms and Phrases

Keen intuition, as in She had a sixth sense that they would find it in the cellar. This term alludes to a sense in addition to the five physical senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. [c. 1800]

Related Words

• instinct