What does "intuitive" mean?

1. (easy to use) easy to use or understand without needing a lot of instructions. 2. (based on feelings) based on what you feel to be true rather than on facts or proof. 3. (having good insight) describes a person who is good at understanding things using their feelings. 4. (a perceptive person) a person who has a strong ability to know things without being told.

How do you use "intuitive"?

Often used to describe software, tools, or design layouts. Commonly modifies nouns like 'feeling', 'sense', or 'understanding'.

intuitive

adj. · n.

US //ˌɪnˈtuətɪv// UK //ɪntjˈuːɪtˌɪv// in·tu·itive

1 easy to use (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

easy to use or understand without needing a lot of instructions.

describing a system or interface that is self-explanatory and aligns with natural human expectations.

Example

The new phone app is very intuitive, so I didn't need to read the manual.

Example

The software developers prioritised an intuitive layout to ensure that even first-time users could navigate the complex database without formal training.

Usage

Often used to describe software, tools, or design layouts.
- user friendly
- straightforward
- complex
- counter intuitive
2 based on feelings (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

based on what you feel to be true rather than on facts or proof.

arising from or possessing insight without the use of rational processes.

Example

She had an intuitive feeling that something was wrong, even though everything looked normal.

Example

His intuitive approach to investment often outperformed the rigid models used by his more traditional colleagues.

Usage

Commonly modifies nouns like 'feeling', 'sense', or 'understanding'.
- instinctive
- visceral
- analytical
- calculated

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3 having good insight (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

describes a person who is good at understanding things using their feelings.

possessing or showing a high degree of natural insight or empathy.

Example

An intuitive teacher can often tell when a student is struggling before they ask for help.

Example

As an intuitive leader, she was able to sense the shifting morale of the department long before the official survey results were published.
- perceptive
- insightful
- oblivious
4 a perceptive person (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical

a person who has a strong ability to know things without being told.

an individual who possesses or claims to possess a high degree of intuitive or psychic perception.

Example

Some people believe that intuitives can sense things about the future.

Example

The study compared the decision-making patterns of self-described intuitives against a control group of analytical thinkers.
- perceptive
- clairvoyant

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French intuitif, from Medieval Latin intuitivus, from Latin intueri.

Word family

Adjectiveintuitive
Adverbintuitively