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Definition of smarts

smarts

/ˈsmɑːrts/
smarts
Adverb:smartly
•
Plural:smarts
•
Adjective:smart
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smarts Lexical Profile

smarts Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American Practical intelligence, acumen, or shrewdness (informal, treated as plural).

Example

"She had the business smarts needed to turn the struggling startup into a profitable company."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for smarts
Antonyms
View all antonyms for smarts

Word Nuance & Usage

In the sense of intelligence or acumen, "smarts" is a pluralia tantum noun (always plural in form) and is used almost exclusively in informal North American English, often in compounds like "street smarts" or "book smarts."

• Rhymes for smarts

• Nearby Words

smartmouth
smartness
smartphone
smarts
smartwatch
smartweed
smarty

Word Origin & Etymology

Emerged in American English slang in the 1960s as a pluralized nominalization of the adjective "smart," which originally meant "causing sharp pain" in Old English (smeart) before shifting to mean "quick, keen, or intelligent."

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Smarts. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/smarts
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