What does intuitional mean?
Intuitional means based on, or connected with, intuition. It describes knowledge, judgment, or understanding that comes through immediate perception, experience, or instinct rather than through a fully articulated logical argument. The word can suggest insight that is difficult to explain or justify, although it does not necessarily mean irrationality. In this sense, an intuitional response may be based on long experience and a sensitive grasp of a situation. Intuitional is also used for a person who demonstrates such understanding. It is less common and somewhat more literary than the adjective intuitive, which has a broader range of meanings, including both insight and ease of understanding. Because intuitional can imply a departure from deliberate reasoning, it is especially useful when discussing artistic, moral, interpersonal, or experiential judgment.
Based on or relating to intuition; involving immediate insight or perception rather than deliberate reasoning.
"She made an intuitional decision that proved wiser than the available evidence suggested."
Less common and more literary than intuitive; the exact meaning can vary with context.
Having or displaying an ability to perceive or understand something through intuition.
"The most successful managers are often intuitional listeners."
Often describes a person whose judgment is informed by insight and experience rather than explicit reasoning.
Intuitional is the word for understanding that arrives before you can fully explain why you know.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intuitional come from?
The word intuitional was formed in English from intuition with the suffix -al. Intuition itself comes through French from Latin intuitio, a noun related to intuēri, “to look at” or “to perceive,” especially by looking within. The Latin root also underlies intuit and intuitive, while cognates in other languages include the French intuition and Spanish intuición. The English sense developed from direct perception or immediate insight toward the modern idea of understanding something without conscious reasoning.
Related word forms
How intuitional is actually used
Intuitional is less common than intuitive and often sounds somewhat formal or literary. It is not necessarily interchangeable with intuitive: intuitional more directly emphasizes the basis of a judgment in intuition, while intuitive is also widely used to mean easy to understand.
Easily confused with intuitional
Both words concern immediate understanding or insight, but intuitional more explicitly describes something based on intuition, whereas intuitive is the more common term for readily understood or perceived without deliberate reasoning.