gumption
noun
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English speakers have had gumption (the word, that is) since the early 1700s. The term's source isn't known, but early examples of it are found in Scottish (the related terms rumblegumption and rumgumption can be found there too). Gumption originally referred to common sense, but American English speakers adopted the word and took it in a new direction, using it to refer to the kind of courage or get-up-and-go that makes undertaking difficult things possible. Art historians may know a couple additional applications for the word: gumption was historically used both to refer to the art of preparing painters' colors, and as a synonym of megilp, which refers to a mixture of linseed oil and mastic varnish that is used as a vehicle for oil paints.
Examples of gumption in a Sentence
Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Do the Angels have the gumption to try again and attempt to land a superstar like Guerrero?
—Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
The only ones showed any gumption were the two women (Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska).
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2025
The first requires precision and consistency; the second, gumption and a dash of luck.
—Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gumption
Cite this Entry
“Gumption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gumption. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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gumption
noun
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