presence of mind
noun phrase
: self-control so maintained in an emergency or in an embarrassing situation that one can say or do the right thing
Examples of presence of mind in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Poetry is a path back and away from that mind-set and toward a presence of mind and concentration that fosters possibility.
—
New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
May the Lord grant me the presence of mind to accept my mid-thirties friends’ hectic lives and the nerve to ask them to be just slightly flexible but, like, no worries if not.
—Irving Ruan, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
However, the teen had the presence of mind to grab a stick and begin hitting the animal.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Lucky for you, one of the other players has the presence of mind to call 911.
—Colin Nissan, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
The year 2003 was before smartphones became widespread, but Bates had the presence of mind to get his video camera and record what would come to be a new kind of fire.
—John Vaillant, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023
New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
May the Lord grant me the presence of mind to accept my mid-thirties friends’ hectic lives and the nerve to ask them to be just slightly flexible but, like, no worries if not.
—Irving Ruan, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
However, the teen had the presence of mind to grab a stick and begin hitting the animal.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Lucky for you, one of the other players has the presence of mind to call 911.
—Colin Nissan, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
The year 2003 was before smartphones became widespread, but Bates had the presence of mind to get his video camera and record what would come to be a new kind of fire.
—John Vaillant, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presence of mind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1624, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of presence of mind was
circa 1624
Dictionary Entries Near presence of mind
Cite this Entry
“Presence of mind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presence%20of%20mind. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
presence of mind
: ability to think clearly and act quickly in an emergency
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