nous

noun

1

ˈnüs 

also

ˈnau̇s  : mind, reason: such as

a

: an intelligent purposive principle of the world

b

: the divine reason regarded in Neoplatonism as the first emanation of God

2

ˈnau̇s  chiefly British : common sense, alertness

Synonyms of nous

• prudence
• wisdom
• sense
• wit
• intelligence

Examples of nous in a Sentence

an Oxford don who was long on erudition but a little short on everyday nous

Recent Examples on the Web

He was recruited at great cost to win this World Cup, and because of his tactical nous in knockout football. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026

The assessment contradicts Western conventional wisdom that Moscow has approached the conflict more as a meat grinder than with strategic nous. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025

Alonso's coaching career has been turbocharged by his impressive tactical nous, which was the driving factor in the success of a Bayer Leverkusen side substantially less well-resourced than its rivals. — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

He's credited Pep Guardiola for his tactical nous in the past, but that doesn't explain away Sevilla. — SI.com, 2 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Greek noos, nous mind

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nous

• coos
• cruce
• deuce
• douce
• duce
• goose
• hoose
• juice
• loose
• mousse
• noose
• sluice