Agency Dictionary
cleverness
nounPronunciation: /ˈklɛvərnəs/
In Portuguese: esperteza
Psychology & MindWhat does “cleverness” mean?
The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
Etymology
Formed from clever with the suffix -ness. Clever appears in the late 16th century with the sense "handy, skilful with the hands", apparently from an East Anglian dialect word cliver, "quick to seize". Its further origin is uncertain: Low German, Frisian and Scandinavian words of similar form and meaning have been proposed, and so has a link with Old English clifer, "claw". The sense of mental quickness became the usual one in the 18th century.
Usage note
Cleverness often suggests quick, local ingenuity and can be faint praise when set against wisdom or depth. In American English smartness covers much of the same ground.
Synonyms
- wit
- ingenuity
- quickness
- shrewdness
- smartness
- sharpness
Often confused with
- expertise
- Expertise is deep knowledge of a field, gained by study and practice; cleverness is quickness of mind in the situation at hand and does not require it.
Word family
- clever
- cleverly
Usage examples
Cleverness Is situation-specific
Writing.2 - Aphorisms Cleverness Is situation-specific andrefers to a quick ability to think and solve problems, often through creative or unconventional means, while considering the context.
Concepts
- IntelligenceIntelligence is the set of cognitive abilities that allow a mind to reason, solve problems, learn and adapt. The Agency editorial places it between cleverness and wisdom…
- Persuasive ArgumentationPersuasive argumentation is the strategic practice of structuring reasoned claims, evidence, and rhetorical appeals to alter an audience's beliefs, values, or behavior…
- Philosophical WisdomPhilosophical wisdom is the integrated capacity to synthesize deep moral understanding, sound ethical judgment, and lived experience in navigation of human life. It…
- SophismA sophism is a plausibly phrased argument or line of reasoning that appears logically valid on the surface but contains an underlying intentional fallacy meant to…
- State of NatureThe state of nature is a foundational philosophical concept used to hypothesize the human condition prior to the establishment of organized political societies, civil…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- vocationnoun
- A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
- Synchronicitynoun
- The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related yet lack a direct causal connection.
- Resiliencenoun
- The capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, tough conditions, or shock.
- Stigmanoun
- A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
- Abyssnoun
- A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
- Adversitynoun
- A state of severe hardship, difficulty, or misfortune that tests resilience and moral endurance.
- Affectnoun
- An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
- Anesthetizeverb
- To administer an anesthetic to eliminate physical feeling, or figuratively to numb emotional or critical awareness.
- anesthetizedadjective
- Deprived of physical sensation or feeling, often used figuratively to describe dullness or emotional apathy.
- Anesthetizingadjective
- Producing numbness, insensibility, or temporary relief from pain and critical awareness. In media studies, it describes content that pacifies audiences into mindless consumption.
- Arrogancenoun
- An offensive display of superiority, self-importance, or overbearing pride that disparages others and their contributions.
Also from these editions: terms
- quotationnoun
- A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
- eppur si muoveother
- An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- verbatimadjective
- In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
- rhetoricnoun
- The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
- literary devicenoun
- A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
- collective consciousnessnoun
- The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
- Byproductnoun
- A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
- catalystnoun
- A substance or factor that accelerates a chemical reaction or stimulates widespread systemic change without being consumed.
- comfort zonenoun
- The set of situations and habits in which a person feels safe and in control, without risk or anxiety. Leaving it is commonly described as a condition for learning and growth.
- conciseadjective
- Expressing comprehensive meaning clearly in few words, without superfluous or redundant phrasing.
- Hectarenoun
- A metric unit of surface area equal to ten thousand square meters or roughly 2.471 acres.
Also from these editions: concepts
- AphorismAn aphorism is a concise, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, ethical principle, or philosophical observation in very few words. Unlike casual sayings, it…
- David HumeDavid Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. In Writing.2, the article…
- Aphoristic StyleAphoristic style is a literary mode of writing composed of detached, numbered, or highly condensed statements that convey complex philosophical ideas with striking…
- Action and Non-ActionAction and non-action represent complementary philosophical states governing human agency, existential responsibility, and systemic intervention within the world. While…
- YodaYoda is a character of the Star Wars films, an old Jedi master who trains others in the Force. In the Agency editorial, Writing.2 offers one of his sentences as an…
- Act of ExistenceThe act of existence is the name the author of the Agency editorial gives, in his own philosophical draft, to existing as something one does and answers for, not…
- WorldviewA worldview is the comprehensive cognitive framework of foundational beliefs, values, and assumptions through which an individual or cultural group interprets reality and…
- An Enquiry Concerning Human UnderstandingAn Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is a book by the Scottish philosopher David Hume, first published in 1748. The Agency editorial takes from it the example of…