as in prudence
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters
an Oxford don who was long on erudition but a little short on everyday nous
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Recent Examples of nous
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
The industry will have to use its considerable commercial nous to hit its growth targets if Brexit provokes a deep rupture with the EU.
—The Economist, 3 May 2018
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
The industry will have to use its considerable commercial nous to hit its growth targets if Brexit provokes a deep rupture with the EU.
—The Economist, 3 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nous
Noun
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Additionally, a boom-and-bust cycle in the early 2000s informs some of the company’s prudence on expansion.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Taiwan’s military should exercise prudence in its rules of engagement and not assume that every close call is intentional.—
JOEL WUTHNOW,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Red Mass is a Catholic Mass that celebrates the start of the judicial year and offers prayers for wisdom, counsel, and fortitude for judges, lawyers and public officials.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Rock channels his old trash-talking persona and adds some sage wisdom for a couple of British youngsters (Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden) wanting advice on how to break into the wrestling business.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Your goals can determine the type of account that makes the most sense.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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For a generation living in great uncertainty—from the GFC to COVID to cost-of-living pressures—Trump’s disruptive appeal offers both a protest and a sense of control.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Admirers, artists and politicians flocked to the shop, drawn by her beauty, wit and easy charm, according to Smithsonian Magazine.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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Over nearly three decades, Baumbach has built a career chronicling families in crisis and artists at the crossroads, his films combining biting wit with an unflinching emotional honesty.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The festival also falls during the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, which a US intelligence report says happened at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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The office of the director of national intelligence is expected to make an announcement on the Havana Syndrome investigation soon, two sources told the Herald.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nous. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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