common sense
Everyday practical wisdom
Common sense is the basic level of practical judgment most people are expected to have.
It covers everyday matters rather than specialized knowledge: Common sense tells you not to touch a hot stove.
The term often appears when someone lacks it: He has no common sense.
As an adjective, usually hyphenated: a common-sense approach to budgeting.
- sensiblenessPractical good judgment
- reasonablenessQuality of being fair-minded
- levelheadednessMental steadiness amid chaos
- pragmatismPractical problem-solving philosophy
down-to-earth · matter-of-factness · clear-headedness · sanity · soberness · soundness · street smarts · mother wit
Keen perception and judgment
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- rationalitySound judgment quality
- sound judgmentWise decision-making ability
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
judiciousness · acumen · perspicacity · shrewdness · astuteness · insight · perception · comprehension
Innate behavioral tendency
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- folk wisdomTraditional communal knowledge
- tacit knowledgeUnderstanding that resists verbalization
good judgment
- sensiblenessPractical good judgment
- reasonablenessQuality of being fair-minded
- levelheadednessMental steadiness amid chaos
pragmatism · down-to-earth · matter-of-factness · clear-headedness · sanity · soberness · soundness · street smarts · mother wit · everyday wisdom
discernment
Keen perception and judgment
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- rationalitySound judgment quality
- sound judgmentWise decision-making ability
prudence · judiciousness · acumen · perspicacity · shrewdness · astuteness · insight · perception · comprehension · assessment
instinct
Innate behavioral tendency
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- folk wisdomTraditional communal knowledge
- common knowledgegeneral knowledge, trivia, proverbs, sayings, idioms
- life skillsreading, writing, cooking, cleaning, laundry
- folk wisdomproverb, folklore, folk sayings, saying, proverbs
- grandma's wisdomproverbs, sayings, adages, maxims, life lessons
- informal knowledgefolk wisdom, old wives tales, hearsay, gossip, rumors
- practical knowledgefolk medicine, home economics, self-help, street smarts, folk wisdom
common sensefoolishness
Unwise conduct
stupidity · folly · idiocy · impracticality · senselessness
common sensebook learning
Knowledge from study
book smarts · formal education · technical knowledge · erudition · intellectualism