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Intuition

n. thoughtful, capable warm

What it means

Meaning 1

Immediate understanding or judgment without conscious reasoning.

Reach for it when naming a rapid sense that can guide attention before verification

Her intuition pointed to the western wall, and the moisture readings confirmed it.

Meaning 2

A particular impression reached in that way.

Reach for it when describing one felt conclusion rather than a general faculty

His intuition was that the shorter queue reflected a hidden access problem.

Words to choose between 7

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
playful
everyday
  • Intuition (this word)
  • hunch
warm
  • Intuition (this word)
professional
formal
literary

Meaning 1: Immediate understanding or judgment without conscious reasoning.

  • everyday

    instinct

    Fits when an immediate tendency or response is the focus

    Careful Instinct can be innate or bodily and less informed by experience.

  • professional

    insight

    Fits when a useful understanding reveals how something works

    Careful Insight can follow analysis and is not necessarily intuitive.

  • professional

    judgment

    Fits when experience supports a practical conclusion

    Careful Judgment may be deliberate and reasoned rather than immediate.

  • formal

    perception

    Fits when subtle awareness of a situation is central

    Careful Perception concerns noticing and may stop before a conclusion.

  • literary

    sixth sense

    Fits when dramatic language presents perception beyond ordinary cues

    Careful Sixth sense can sound supernatural and should not describe expertise as magic.

Meaning 2: A particular impression reached in that way.

  • playful

    gut feeling

    Fits when informal speech should admit a felt judgment

    Careful A decision record needs more precision than gut feeling and should not excuse unsupported certainty.

  • everyday

    hunch

    Fits when a tentative unexplained impression deserves modest wording

    Careful Hunch is weaker and often explicitly speculative.

Opposites 3

Common phrases 3

  • trust intuition

    She chose to trust intuition only long enough to decide what to measure next.

  • strong intuition

    A strong intuition is still not a substitute for checking the load.

  • expert intuition

    Expert intuition can be valuable within the conditions that shaped the expertise.

Usage notes

Keep in mind

Intuition is not self-validating. It is a useful prompt, not proven knowledge.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, Southern California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated