Nous Meaning in English
word
ˈnus
NOOS
nˈuːz
NOOZ
Definition
'Nous' is a formal word for common sense, good judgment, or practical intelligence. In philosophy, it can also mean the mind or intellect.
Usage & Nuances
'Nous' is rather formal and more common in British English. Used to praise someone's practical skills or common sense ('a lot of nous'). In academic or philosophical texts, it refers to the reasoning mind or intellect.
Spanish: sens común - juicio - inteligencia (filosofía)Portuguese (BR): senso comum - razão - intelecto (filosofia)Portuguese (PT): senso comum - razão - intelecto (filosofia)Chinese (Simplified): 常识 - 理智 - 智慧（哲学）Chinese (Traditional): 常識 - 理智 - 智慧（哲學）Hindi: साधारण बुद्धि - समझ - विवेकArabic: فهم عام - عقل - حكمة (فلسفة)Bengali: বুদ্ধি - সাধারণ জ্ঞান - বিচক্ষণতাRussian: здравый смысл - сообразительность - умJapanese: 判断力 - 常識 - 知性Vietnamese: sự sáng suốt - trí thông minh thực tiễn - lý tríKorean: 상식 - 판단력 - 지성Turkish: sağduyu - pratik zeka - akılUrdu: عقل - سوجھ بوجھ - دانشIndonesian: akal sehat - kecerdasan praktis - nalar
Example Sentences
He has a lot of nous when it comes to fixing things.
basic
It takes nous to solve this problem.
basic
Her nous impressed the interviewers.
basic
You need a bit of nous to get through city life.
natural
She’s got plenty of street nous—she’ll figure it out.
natural
Without a bit of nous, you’ll get lost in this job.
natural