astutely
adverb
astuteness
noun
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Astute comes from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft." The word implies being keenly observant and forming sound judgments based on knowledge and experience.
Synonyms
Examples of astute in a Sentence
We thought they were not very intellectually astute, but we didn't really understand how political a lot of what they were doing was.
—
Ben Wallace-Wells, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007
He asked astute diagnosticians around the country how they approached and cracked difficult diagnoses and what happened when they failed. Misdiagnosis is not an insignificant problem: Groopman cites a finding that between one in six and one in seven patients is incorrectly assessed.
—Ruth Levy Guyer, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2007
And finally, even if she had never actually uttered the bon mot that would be famously attributed to her, that if she had two heads, she would risk one in the king's service, could the astute young duchess actually have had input into the implausible negotiations?
—Harvey Rachlin, Scandals, Vandals, and Da Vincis, 2007
Focusing largely upon Western alchemy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, she has a sharp eye for how alchemical images surface in literature of that period. Readers of Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare will find illuminating insights. Abraham reveals the far reaches of her astute literary intelligence by analyzing alchemical imagery encoded in a broad range of works, from Chaucer and Milton to Vladimir Nabokov and P. G. Wodehouse.
—Norman Weinstein, Parabola, November 1999
He is an astute observer of the current political scene.
Astute readers will notice the error.
His analysis of the battle was very astute.
Ben Wallace-Wells, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007
He asked astute diagnosticians around the country how they approached and cracked difficult diagnoses and what happened when they failed. Misdiagnosis is not an insignificant problem: Groopman cites a finding that between one in six and one in seven patients is incorrectly assessed.
—Ruth Levy Guyer, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2007
And finally, even if she had never actually uttered the bon mot that would be famously attributed to her, that if she had two heads, she would risk one in the king's service, could the astute young duchess actually have had input into the implausible negotiations?
—Harvey Rachlin, Scandals, Vandals, and Da Vincis, 2007
Focusing largely upon Western alchemy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, she has a sharp eye for how alchemical images surface in literature of that period. Readers of Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare will find illuminating insights. Abraham reveals the far reaches of her astute literary intelligence by analyzing alchemical imagery encoded in a broad range of works, from Chaucer and Milton to Vladimir Nabokov and P. G. Wodehouse.
—Norman Weinstein, Parabola, November 1999
He is an astute observer of the current political scene.
Astute readers will notice the error.
His analysis of the battle was very astute.
Recent Examples on the Web
The show centers on Alex Cross, an astute detective and forensic psychologist who is deeply committed to his family but equally consumed by his work.
—Essence, 23 Oct. 2024
Elsbeth sees Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals and murderers alongside the NYPD.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Oct. 2024
The Israeli prime minister has sanctioned actions over the past fortnight that have seemed tactically astute despite an apparent disregard for civilian casualties.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
This stance on craftsmanship informs astute and rigorous tailoring but also his choice of wool as a primary fabric.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for astute 
Essence, 23 Oct. 2024
Elsbeth sees Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals and murderers alongside the NYPD.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Oct. 2024
The Israeli prime minister has sanctioned actions over the past fortnight that have seemed tactically astute despite an apparent disregard for civilian casualties.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
This stance on craftsmanship informs astute and rigorous tailoring but also his choice of wool as a primary fabric.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for astute
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near astute
Cite this Entry
“Astute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astute. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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