presence of mind
noun phrase
: self-control so maintained in an emergency or in an embarrassing situation that one can say or do the right thing
Examples of presence of mind in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though unprepared, Betsy said the couple had the presence of mind to grab their prescriptions, passports and election ballots.
—
Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
Williams initially bobbled a deep pass in the third quarter but had enough presence of mind to tip it with his right hand to keep it in the air, spin around to locate the ball, and then catch it for a 54-yard gain.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2024
Trump’s presence of mind and sense of the moment, after having just been nearly killed and perhaps while still in mortal peril, speak to his natural talents and instincts as a politician and populist symbol.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2024
Merz had the presence of mind to crawl from underneath the car and switch off the engine to prevent an explosion.
—Dawn Mitchell, The Indianapolis Star, 22 May 2024
Falling out of bounds, the fifth-year veteran had the presence of mind to call a timeout to set up his shot, which eventually served as the dagger.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2024
Poetry is a path back and away from that mind-set and toward a presence of mind and concentration that fosters possibility.
—New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
May the Lord grant me the presence of mind to accept my mid-thirties friends’ hectic lives and the nerve to ask them to be just slightly flexible but, like, no worries if not.
—Irving Ruan, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
However, the teen had the presence of mind to grab a stick and begin hitting the animal.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
Williams initially bobbled a deep pass in the third quarter but had enough presence of mind to tip it with his right hand to keep it in the air, spin around to locate the ball, and then catch it for a 54-yard gain.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2024
Trump’s presence of mind and sense of the moment, after having just been nearly killed and perhaps while still in mortal peril, speak to his natural talents and instincts as a politician and populist symbol.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2024
Merz had the presence of mind to crawl from underneath the car and switch off the engine to prevent an explosion.
—Dawn Mitchell, The Indianapolis Star, 22 May 2024
Falling out of bounds, the fifth-year veteran had the presence of mind to call a timeout to set up his shot, which eventually served as the dagger.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2024
Poetry is a path back and away from that mind-set and toward a presence of mind and concentration that fosters possibility.
—New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
May the Lord grant me the presence of mind to accept my mid-thirties friends’ hectic lives and the nerve to ask them to be just slightly flexible but, like, no worries if not.
—Irving Ruan, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
However, the teen had the presence of mind to grab a stick and begin hitting the animal.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near presence of mind
Cite this Entry
“Presence of mind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presence%20of%20mind. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share