gumption
noun /ˈɡʌmpʃn/
/ˈɡʌmpʃn/
[uncountable] (old-fashioned, informal)- the intelligence needed to know what to do in a particular situation
- He didn’t have the gumption to keep his mouth shut.
- courage and strength of mind
- She won’t tell him because she hasn’t got the gumption.
Word Originearly 18th cent. (originally Scots): of unknown origin.