common sense

Definitions

1. Ordinary sensible understanding; one's basic intelligence which allows for plain understanding and without which good decisions or judgments cannot be made.
   uncountable
2. One of the four interior senses; the one by which information from the five exterior senses is understood and interpreted.
   uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“To act with common sense⟳, according to the moment, is the best wisdom I know⟳; and the best philosophy, to do one's duties, take⟳ the world as it comes, submit⟳ respectfully to one's lot, bless the goodness that has given us so much happiness with it, whatever it is, and despise affectation.”

“While there are not yet studies to prove⟳ it, common sense⟳ tells us that a stressed and sick animal is not an ideal candidate to eventually make⟳ a healthy meal.”

“Common sense⟳, by contrast to self-attentiveness, involves other-attentiveness, as a person pays attention to the social world around them and to the structure⟳ of tacit meanings that others impart through the use⟳ of utterances and embodied conduct. […] Common sense⟳ as other-attentiveness means that a participant pays attention to another’s world as a condition for bespeaking one’s own⟳.”

“This common ſenſe is the Iudge or Moderator of the reſt, by whom we diſcerne all differences of obiects; for by mine eye I doe not knowe that I ſee, or by mine eare that I heare, but by my common ſenſe, […]”

CEFR level