intuition
UK[ˌɪntjuˈɪʃn]US[ˌɪntuˈɪʃn]
n
the ability to understand or know something immediately, without conscious reasoning or proof.
n
a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
tuit
ion
in
in, into, on
tuit
to look at, watch over, guard
ion
Etymology
the word 'intuition' originates from the late latin 'intueri', meaning 'to consider' or 'to contemplate'. this verb is composed of 'in-' ('at, on') and 'tueri' ('to look, watch'), conveying the literal sense of 'looking inward' or 'gazing upon'. the semantic evolution shifted from a physical act of seeing to a metaphorical one of immediate mental perception, bypassing deliberate observation. the suffix '-ion' nominalizes this process, resulting in the modern abstract meaning of direct, instinctive understanding without conscious reasoning.
Analysis
Structure: in + tuit + ion
in- (latin, meaning 'in, into, on'), tuit- (from latin root 'tueri', meaning 'to look at, watch over, guard'), -ion (latin, noun-forming suffix indicating an action or process or its result).
Examples
she had a sudden intuition that he was telling the truth.
my intuition told me to avoid that route, and it turned out there was a major accident.
he relies more on intuition than on careful analysis when making quick decisions.