noetic

adjective

no·​et·​ic nō-ˈe-tik 

: of, relating to, or based on the intellect

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Thinking About Noetic

Noetic derives from the Greek adjective noētikos, meaning "intellectual," from the verb noein ("to think") and ultimately from the noun nous, meaning "mind." (Nous also gave English the word paranoia by joining with a prefix meaning "faulty" or "abnormal.") Noetic is related to noesis, a rare noun that turns up in the field of philosophy and refers to the action of perceiving or thinking. The most notable use of noetic might be in the name of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a research organization based in California that is devoted to studies of consciousness and the mind.

Word History

Etymology

Greek noētikos intellectual, from noein to think, from nous mind

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

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Medical Definition

noetic

adjective

no·​et·​ic nō-ˈet-ik 

: of, relating to, or based on the intellect