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
With form, confidence and fluidity in short supply, most expected Arsenal to sit in and lean on their defensive nous.
—
James McNicholas, New York Times, 20 Apr. 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
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
James McNicholas, New York Times, 20 Apr. 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
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
-
That prudence by supporters of the center, including County Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Judge Steve Leifman, is now being used against them to keep the center in limbo.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
By all accounts, being a milquetoast is a sort of vice—cowardice masquerading as prudence.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The accepted wisdom in yacht design has been that the fastest ocean passages can only be achieved by multihull craft, such as the current crop of Ultim trimarans, which have three hulls in parallel and have set the big records of the past decade.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
These visionary artist‑activists have created performances binding Jewish wisdom with ecological awareness, exploring renewal, belonging, and resilience in the face of the ecological crisis, the news release stated.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The Pisces Moon sharpens intuition and helps subtle signals make sense.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Slowing its introduction makes no more sense than efforts to delay electrification would’ve made in the 1880s.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
From coast to coast, her shows have sold out in record time, proof that Lucy Darling’s blend of wit, sweetness and old Hollywood glamour has struck a chord with audiences.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Kass, who has owned Berkshire stock for 40 years, said while nobody can match Buffett’s wisdom and wit, Abel has now demonstrated his competency as CEO.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Charles is expected to talk about the defense, intelligence and security ties the countries have shared for decades.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Belarus’ presidential press service said the negotiations had involved intelligence services from seven countries.—
Claudia Ciobanu,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nous. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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