Intuitive

Intuitive is an adjective with several related senses. It can describe knowledge or understanding that seems to arise from intuition rather than deliberate reasoning; it can describe something that is easy to understand on first encounter or use without instruction; and it can refer to processes that are automatic, instinctive, or guided by internal sense rather than explicit rules.

The word traces to Latin intueri "to look at, contemplate" and intuitus "perceived by inspection," filtered into English through Old French intuitif. In modern use, intuitive tends to carry the sense of grasping something directly, without stepwise reasoning, or of being readily understood.

In psychology, intuitive knowledge is associated with fast, automatic, nonconscious processing (often described as System 1). It contrasts with deliberative, analytical thinking (System 2). While intuition can lead to rapid judgments and skilled performance, it is also susceptible to biases and errors, especially under pressure or in unfamiliar domains. The study of heuristics by Kahneman and Tversky is a common framework for understanding its limits.

In design and user experience, an intuitive interface is one that users can operate effectively without extensive instruction by aligning with users’ expectations, prior experience, and natural mappings. However "intuitive" is subjective; what feels intuitive for one user group may not for another. Designers emphasize usability testing and clear affordances to ensure that perceived intuitiveness matches actual ease of use.