intuition
in-too-ISH-un
/ˌɪntjuˈɪʃn/
The immediate understanding or knowing of something without relying on conscious, step-by-step reasoning.
Represents non-conscious, highly rapid pattern recognition grounded in past experience.
The story behind the word. In Latin, 'intueri' meant 'to look directly at' or 'gaze upon'. In medieval philosophy, it shifted from physical sight to mental insight—seeing a truth directly without needing an intervening step of logic.
Word relationships
- instinct: 'Instinct' refers to biologically innate responses, whereas 'intuition' often develops from accumulated sub-conscious experience.
- insight: 'Insight' can be a sudden conscious discovery, whereas 'intuition' is an overall immediate sense of knowing.
- deliberation: 'Deliberation' involves slow, conscious, systematic thought, contrasting with rapid 'intuition'.
Commonly confused with
- instinct: Instinct is hardwired biology (e.g., survival reflexes); intuition is subconscious pattern recognition built from past learning.
Word family
- intuitive (adjective): Using or based on intuition.
- intuitively (adverb): Without conscious reasoning; instinctively.
Collocations
- artistic intuition
- rely on intuition
- trust your intuition
- counter to intuition
Idioms & expressions
- gut feeling
Example sentences
- "Although she lacked access to the full financial audit, her expert intuition warned her that something was wrong with the company's books." Executive decision making
- "Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way." Inspirational literature
Memory hook
IN-tuition is looking INTUITIVELY inside your gut to see the answer. Instant mental seeing without slow conscious thinking.
When not to use
Do not use when describing explicit conclusions reached through formal mathematical calculation.
Fun facts
- Chess grandmasters rely heavily on intuition, processing complex board configurations in milliseconds based on tens of thousands of stored historical patterns.
Explore more words
intuitive, epiphany, impulsive, perceptive, subconscious, visceral
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