PRESENCE OF MIND

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does presence of mind mean? 

• PRESENCE OF MIND (noun)
  The noun PRESENCE OF MIND has 1 sense:

1. self-control in a crisis; ability to say or do the right thing in an emergency

  Familiarity information: PRESENCE OF MIND used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRESENCE OF MIND (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Self-control in a crisis; ability to say or do the right thing in an emergency

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("presence of mind" is a kind of...):

possession; self-command; self-control; self-possession; self-will; will power; willpower (the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior)

 Context examples 

Tease calmness of manner and presence of mind!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

With wonderful presence of mind, Don Pedro, the cruel sire, rushed in, dragged out his daughter, with a hasty aside...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Elinor was robbed of all presence of mind by such an address, and was unable to say a word.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

This was a good freshener to my presence of mind, as a beginning.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The strength, resolution, and presence of mind of the Mr. Knightleys, commanded his fullest dependence.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

How providential that he had presence of mind to think of the water-jug!

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I retreated to the farther corner of my room; or box; but the monkey looking in at every side, put me in such a fright, that I wanted presence of mind to conceal myself under the bed, as I might easily have done.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

When you had the presence of mind to suggest that Benwick would be the properest person to fetch a surgeon, you could have little idea of his being eventually one of those most concerned in her recovery.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

"Don't take all." whispered her neighbor, a young lady of great presence of mind.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

To see her lay the flowers against her little dimpled chin, was to lose all presence of mind and power of language in a feeble ecstasy.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)