acuity
noun
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Do you have acuity or sensitivity?
Acuity is nearly synonymous with at least one sense of sensitivity, yet, as is so often the case with closely-related words, there are subtle differences worth observing before you substitute one of these words for the other. Acuity does refer to a form of sensitivity, but it is most often applied to the perceptual senses (as in “visual acuity” or “auditory acuity”). It is also frequently used in reference to the intellect (as in “mental acuity”). Sensitivity has a broader range of meanings than acuity does, including “the capacity of being easily hurt.” It may be used of inanimate objects such as radios (“the sensitivity of the instruments was carefully calibrated”), a context in which acuity is unusual.
Synonyms
Examples of acuity in a Sentence
Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Angela Barrett lost her father twice: First, during her childhood in Miami-Dade, when the ravages of schizophrenia robbed him of his mental acuity, and again, decades later, when state mental health administrators assigned him to the same bedroom as a man who once sliced his own mother’s throat.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
The acuity of a child’s needs will be evaluated with a tool known as the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment.
—Ana B. Ibarra, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
The musicians are tight and Olivia has the vocal acuity and the stamina to keep the energy in the room turned up to eleven.
—Eric Fuller, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Democrats are hitting the airwaves saying Biden is sharp and laser-focused in private, and counsel Robert Hur has no business airing his personal criticism of the president’s mental acuity.
—Howard Kurtz, Fox News, 15 Feb. 2024
Whitmer’s name was floated as a possible 2024 presidential candidate amid voters' concern over Biden’s age and mental acuity.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
Questions around age and acuity have surrounded the 2024 race with the presumptive general election matchup between Donald Trump, 77, and Joe Biden, 81, who would each hold the distinction of being the oldest person to take the oath of office if sworn in next January.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
By Molly Cook Escobar Mr. Biden and his allies have rejected anxieties about his age and mental acuity as unfair and inaccurate.
—Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acuity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Acuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acuity. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
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acuity
noun
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acuity
noun
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