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
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
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
-
Posey seems to want to pass this off as prudence.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Having both adequate owners’ capital against insolvency and deposit reserves against illiquidity were voluntary prudence early in this historical evolution.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rather, Hawai’i’s collective wisdom was contained within chants, mythology, family lore, and ancient stories passed down orally from one generation to the next.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Jennifer Whitfield, an attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center who represented Georgia Power expansion opponents, said the loans will save money for Georgians, but questioned their wisdom.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The couple said their now 15-year-old daughter is slowly rebuilding her sense of safety.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
And there’s a sense of urgency that people feel to get back into life, do things right, and be more present.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her Meryll Rogge collections are full of color, wit, and sophistication, but always with a dash of the unexpected.—
Nicole Phelps,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2026
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Dropout Improv—The highly popular comedy platform takes its sharp wit and quick-thinking comedy offline and onto the stage in a special SXSW performance!—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The platform acts as an intelligence layer that stitches together disparate systems and data within an organization.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
-
From intelligence, the defense minister said the military knew the kingpin's security detail was heavily armed – outfitted with long arms and rocket launchers – and troops planned for a siege.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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