entry
intuition
/ˌɪntjuˈɪʃən/Immediate understanding without conscious reasoning
From Latin, ultimately Proto-Indo-European in- (in) + Latin tueor (to look at).
from Latin intueor (“to look at, consider”)
from Latin intueor (“to look at, consider”)
from Late Latin intuitionem (nominative intuitio ) "a looking at, consideration," noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin intuitionem (nominative intuitio ) "a looking at, consideration," noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Middle French intuition
Word Ancestry
from Latin intueor (“to look at, consider”)
from Latin intueor (“to look at, consider”)
from Late Latin intuitionem (nominative intuitio ) "a looking at, consideration," noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin intuitionem (nominative intuitio ) "a looking at, consideration," noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Middle French intuition
Picture a Roman observer leaning forward—not merely seeing something, but watching it closely enough to understand what it means. Latin intueor meant “to look at” or “to consider,” built from in-, “at or in,” and the watchful verb tueor; that same protective root also gave English tutor, someone who watches over a learner. By the mid-15th century, Medieval Latin intuitiō had become Middle French intuition and then English intuition, first carrying a distinctly theological sense of spiritual perception. The modern verb intuit arrived much later: in 1776 it could mean “to tutor,” while its familiar sense, “to know directly without reasoning,” appeared around 1840, associated with Thomas De Quincey. So intuition is not originally a mystical stomach signal at all—it is the mental afterimage of looking hard enough that thought seems to arrive before explanation.
The Story
Picture a Roman observer leaning forward—not merely seeing something, but watching it closely enough to understand what it means. Latin intueor meant “to look at” or “to consider,” built from in-, “at or in,” and the watchful verb tueor; that same protective root also gave English tutor, someone who watches over a learner. By the mid-15th century, Medieval Latin intuitiō had become Middle French intuition and then English intuition, first carrying a distinctly theological sense of spiritual perception. The modern verb intuit arrived much later: in 1776 it could mean “to tutor,” while its familiar sense, “to know directly without reasoning,” appeared around 1840, associated with Thomas De Quincey. So intuition is not originally a mystical stomach signal at all—it is the mental afterimage of looking hard enough that thought seems to arrive before explanation.
Modern Usage
A gut feeling or strong suspicion about what is likely to happen
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries use intuition for immediate understanding and deep suspicion
Kin & Kindred
From 'in-'·in, on, at; inward attention
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'tueor'·to look at, watch over, consider
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-ion'·action, process, or result of an action
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia