nous

[noos, nous] /nus, naʊs/

noun

Greek Philosophy. mind or intellect.

Neoplatonism. the first and purest emanation of the One, regarded as the self-contemplating order of the universe.

Origin

1670-80; < Greek noûs, contracted variant of nóos mind

Examples from the web for nous

They also confess to lacking the nous to find the niche markets their pine requires.
So rather than dwelling on her lack of political experience, she stresses how she will apply her nous to running the country.
Clients frustrated with private-practice lawyers often accuse them of lacking commercial nous.
She will need some nous to run the sprawling and widely criticised new department.
He also boasts considerable aggression and political nous.
From the nous emerges the world soul, which gives rise to the manifest realm.
The nous of the demiurge proceeds outward into manifestation becoming living ideas.

British Dictionary definitions for nous

/naʊs/

noun

(metaphysics) mind or reason, esp when regarded as the principle governing all things

(Brit, slang) common sense; intelligence

Word Origin

C17: from Greek, literally: mind

Word Origin and History for nous

slang for "intelligence, common sense," 1706, from Greek nous, Attic form of noos "mind, intellect," which was taken in English in philosophy 1670s.