nous

[US]/naʊs/
[UK]/naʊs/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

n. mind; intellect; rationality; common sense.
Word Forms
Pluralnouss

Phrases & Collocations

use our nous

intellectual nous

Example Sentences

entre nous, the old man's a bit of a case.

if he had any nous at all, he'd sell the film rights.

This thesis makes a thorough analysis of Plato's concept of Idea by referring to many important Plato's dialogues, with studying some other concepts, such as nous, noesis, auto, etc.

to show nous in decision-making

to have entrepreneurial nous

to possess financial nous

Real-world Examples

No thanks to your burglar. He had the nous to play for time.

Source: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

He called this force mind or intelligence (nous).

Source: Sophie's World (Original Version)

Having boasted of its management nous, it now seems that poor management is what did it for a unified GE.

Source: The Economist (Summary)

With nous autres it is different.

Source: Murder at the golf course

But why the O? This has to do with French. Scribes Notice that the OU sound in French is written OU, you think of vous and nous and doux.

Source: The Evolution of English Vocabulary

The word that we typically render as ''repent'' is metanoiete in the Greek, a term which is based upon two words ''meta, '' ''beyond, '' and ''nous, '' ''mind.''

Source: Catholicism

Last year it recruited Tony Hoggart, a former executive from Tesco, a British supermarket chain, to bring grocery nous to a business hitherto obsessed with overhead cameras, QR codes and data collection.

Source: Economist Business

" By the way, " he said, turning to Sipiagin, " et ce gaillard-la" (he moved his chin in Paklin's direction). " Qu'enferons nous? He does not appear very dangerous" .

Source: The Virgin Land (Part 2)

But, as luck would have it, there is a tool lying around that has both the money and the nous to do it, and which is currently underemployed and in need of a new mission.

Source: The Economist - Comprehensive

Since the law in question considerably magnifies penalties when the misconduct is " wilful" , the omission was potentially disastrous—and could only have been caught by someone with the right combination of legal and linguistic nous.

Source: The Economist Culture

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