WordValeintuition
understanding without conscious reasoning
In more detail
1. (noun) the ability to understand or know something immediately without needing to think about it or have proof
2. (noun) a feeling or hunch about something that you believe is true, even though you cannot explain why
Examples
- 1. She had an intuition that something was wrong, and she was right.
- 2. My intuition told me not to trust him, so I refused to do business with him.
How to use intuition
Intuition refers to immediate understanding or a felt sense of knowing without conscious reasoning. It is often used when someone senses something is true or right despite lacking explicit evidence. The term is common in personal decision-making, psychology, and professional contexts where quick judgments are valued, and it carries a slightly positive or neutral tone—trusting intuition is generally portrayed favorably, though it can also be contrasted with logic.
Common phrases
- follow your intuition
- trust your intuition
- intuition tells you
- have an intuition
- intuition about something
Synonyms
instinct · gut feeling · hunch · sixth sense · inner voice
Opposites
logic · reasoning · analysis
Word family
intuit (verb) · intuitive (adjective) · intuitively (adverb) · intuitiveness (noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse intuition with instinct; while related, instinct is more about innate biological drives or reflexes, whereas intuition is about immediate knowing or sensing in a broader psychological sense.
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