Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

presence of mind

/ˌpɹɛz(ə)ns əv ˈmaɪnd/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.65 in modern English

Syllables: pres-ence of mind
IPA: /ˌpɹɛz(ə)ns əv ˈmaɪnd/

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Focused alertness, good sense, quick-thinking resourcefulness, or stability of feeling and thought, especially in spite of circumstances which are distracting, stressful, or otherwise challenging.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[A]s you are to hear the moſt unexpected and ſurprizing thing that perhaps ever befel any Family in the VVorld, I beg you to promiſe me you vvill receive it vvith Compoſure and a Preſence of Mind ſuitable to a Man of Senſe."
"[T]his magnificent palace would have infallibly been burnt down to the ground, if, by a presence of mind unusual to me, I had not suddenly thought of an expedient."
"[S]he snatched a pistol from the wall, on which some fire-arms hung, and while she screamed to her father to awake, had the presence of mind to present it at the intruder."
"The Major and Captain Costigan were old soldiers and accustomed to face the enemy, so we may presume that they retained their presence of mind perfectly; but the rest of the party assembled in Cos's sitting-room were, perhaps, a little flurried at Pendennis's apparition."
"During the whole agitating scene, Lillie kept up her presence of mind, and was perfectly aware of what she was about; […]"
"It speaks well for Barrett's presence of mind that he had grasped the situation and decided on his line of action before Welch went, and the Head turned his attention to him."

Etymology

Calque of Latin praesentia animī, from praesentia (“state of being present, presence”) + animī (the genitive singular of animus (“intellect, mind”)).

Word Breakdown

Root: *preh₂-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpɹɛz(ə)ns əv ˈmaɪnd/
British English: /ˌpɹɛzn̩s əv ˈmaɪnd/

Usage

Uncountable

Phrases

peace of mind head on one's shoulders

Frequently Paired Words

peace of mind head on one's shoulders absence of mind mindlessness mindfulness

Synonyms

self-possession

Antonyms

flakiness flightiness spaciness

Rhymes With

find kind mind behind designed signed wind combined defined blind assigned remind

Questions

How do you pronounce presence of mind?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpɹɛz(ə)ns əv ˈmaɪnd/.
What does presence of mind mean?: Focused alertness, good sense, quick-thinking resourcefulness, or stability of feeling and thought, especially in spite of circumstances which are distracting, stressful, or otherwise challenging.
Where does presence of mind come from?: Calque of Latin praesentia animī, from praesentia (“state of being present, presence”) + animī (the genitive singular of animus (“intellect, mind”)).

How to pronounce presence of mind

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