Intuitive
/ɪnˈtuː.ə.tɪv/noun
Based on immediate understanding or perception rather than conscious reasoning.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern philosophy, intuition meant direct intellectual apprehension—knowledge perceived immediately rather than reached through argument or proof.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tewh₂-
“A reconstructed root associated with watching, guarding, or attending; its exact development into Latin is debated.”
Classical Latin
Latin
tueri
“To look at, watch, observe, or guard.”
Classical Latin
Latin
intueri
“To look closely at, contemplate, or regard attentively.”
Late Latin
Latin
intuitus
“A looking at, contemplation, or direct perception; the past participle of intueri.”
17th Century
English
intuitive
“Perceived or known through intuition, especially in philosophical writing.”
Modern English
English
intuitive
“Immediately understood or felt without deliberate reasoning.”