sapience

noun

ˈsā-pē-ən(t)s How to pronounce sapience (audio)
Definition of sapiencenext
as in insight
the ability to understand inner qualities or relationships the kind of sapience that comes from a lifetime of experience as an educator

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sapience Some people go the other way and say that sapience alone might be enough. — IEEE Spectrum, 23 Jan. 2025 The myth has left its mark on everything from superhero fantasies to tales of benevolent robots—narratives where artificial or alien life is in communion with human life and arrayed against the ugliest forces that sapience can produce. — Katherine Alejandra Cross, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023 This seeming truth is said with a kind of sleepy sapience, as though only the naïve or the self-deluded would imagine anything otherwise. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapience
  1. insight
  2. intellect
Noun
  • Long before mindfulness became a defining element of luxury hospitality, Miraval Arizona was there with insights and solutions.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Visiting people in their communities and gaining firsthand insight into Norway’s diverse realities became a fundamental part of their work.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of insight
Noun
  • Here was a juicy alleged scandal involving two big names, a public intellectual and an actor publicly known for her intellect.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Our embodied experience often notices shifts before our intellect explains them.
    — Angela Cusack, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of intellect

Browse Nearby Words

sapid
sapience
sapient
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Cite this Entry

“Sapience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapience. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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