Is nose broken? Purely intellectual apprehension? (6)

I believe the answer is:

noesis

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'purely intellectual apprehension?' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'is nose broken?' is the wordplay.
'broken?' indicates an anagram.
'is'+'nose'='isnose'
'isnose' with letters rearranged gives 'NOESIS'.

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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