# intuitive

/ˌɪnˈtuətɪv/ (US) · /ɪntjˈuːɪtˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/intuitive
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. easy to use

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 2. based on feelings

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 3. having good insight

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

For teachers: possessing or showing a high degree of natural insight or empathy.

- An intuitive teacher can often tell when a student is struggling before they ask for help.
- As an intuitive leader, she was able to sense the shifting morale of the department long before the official survey results were published.

### 4. a perceptive person

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- Some people believe that intuitives can sense things about the future.
- The study compared the decision-making patterns of self-described intuitives against a control group of analytical thinkers.

## Examples

- The new phone app is very intuitive.
- The designer created an intuitive layout so that first-time users could find the checkout button immediately.
- While the mathematical proof was rigorous, the underlying concept felt intuitive to the experienced physicists, who had long suspected such a relationship existed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.