intuitive

adjective

in·tu·i·tive | \in-ˈtü-ə-tiv,

-ˈtyü-\

Definition of intuitive

1a : known or perceived by intuition : directly apprehended had an intuitive awareness of his sister's feelings

b : knowable by intuition intuitive truths

c : based on or agreeing with intuition intuitive responses makes intuitive sense

d : readily learned or understood software with an intuitive interface

2 : knowing or perceiving by intuition

3 : possessing or given to intuition or insight an intuitive mind

Other Words from intuitive Does intuitive have anything to do with a sixth sense? More Example Sentences Learn More about intuitive

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Does intuitive have anything to do with a sixth sense?

Nowadays, we often see intuitive used in contexts pertaining to technology that is easy to understand. A smartphone with an “intuitive interface” is one that doesn't need much explaining; you can usually figure out how it works as soon as you fire it up.

The related noun intuition, meanwhile, describes a feeling of knowing or understanding something without evident rational thought and inference. A parent's intuition might tell him or her that a child is in danger, even if there is no logical reason to believe so.

So does intuitive have anything to do with what is often called the sixth sense? Well, the sixth sense is defined as "a keen intuitive power." It is synonymous with ESP or extrasensory perception. As its name implies, ESP describes a purported ability to know something that cannot be known by normal use of the senses.

The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) used the term intuitive substage to refer to the stage of cognitive development when children have acquired a vast amount of knowledge but have not considered how they acquired it, so they accept it as true.

An interface is intuitive because it makes sense according to what we expect from how older interfaces are designed. A parent's intuitive sense of danger may still be prompted by subtle hints that things just aren't as they should be, even if the parent cannot identify exactly how. So while sixth sense refers to the ability to acquire knowledge from beyond the five senses, intuitive tends to apply more to knowledge absorbed through experience, even when not immediately recognized as such.

Examples of intuitive in a Sentence

The controls of an airplane are intuitive. Push to nose down, pull to nose up, turn left, turn right. — Stephan Wilkinson, Popular Science, December 2002 … but most of the literature was political rather than scientific, more interested in … exalting the irrational and intuitive over the rational and quantifiable. — Paddy Chayefsky, Artificial Paradises, (1978) 1999 Galileo had made an intuitive jump to what we now call Newton's first law of motion: a body in motion tends to remain in motion. — Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993 She has an intuitive mind. a doctor with an intuitive awareness of his patients' concerns The argument makes intuitive sense. The software has an intuitive interface.

Recent Examples on the Web

Generally speaking, fire signs are passionate and exuberant, earth signs are practical and grounded, air signs are intellectual and curious, and water signs are intuitive and emotional. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "Each Zodiac Sign's Unique Personality Traits, Explained by an Astrologer," 28 Oct. 2018 There are no other controls, instruments, or screens—the point is to make flying as intuitive and simple as possible. — Jack Stewart, WIRED, "Larry Page's Flying Car Project Suddenly Seems Rather Real," 8 June 2018 One is intuitive: fast, efficient and quick to jump to conclusions. — Galadriel Watson, Discover Magazine, "Why We Feel the Need to Knock On Wood," 17 Oct. 2018 Aren't mothers supposed to be the more intuitive parents? — Kelly Wallace, CNN, "A 'confidence code' for girls: 5 ways to build up our daughters," 21 May 2018 Go off and let go of your intuitive feelings for now. — BostonGlobe.com, "We can’t afford to replace empathy with apathy," 27 June 2018 How can scientists restore intuitive feeling to a missing limb? — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "'Feeling' Recreated in Amputees' Robotic Arms—Here's How," 15 Mar. 2018 That was a problem that was exposed in the data, but the solution wasn't intuitive. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "How data scientists are using AI for suicide prevention," 8 June 2018 Keys has had some strong results on clay — including reaching the finals of tournaments in Charleston, S.C., and Rome — but still finds the slow surface the least intuitive for her aggressive playing style. — Ben Rothenberg, New York Times, "Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens Have Parallel Lives on a Collision Course," 3 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intuitive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.