astutely
adverb
astuteness
noun
Did you know?
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
Burnett had a prime role in elevating Trump as a primetime fixture as the star of The Apprentice, as the real estate developer was presented to the public as a wildly successful entrepreneur with astute instincts for spotting talent.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
Through a rich heritage, carefully crafted brand strategies and astute business acumen, Montblanc has built an enduring legacy of distinction.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
What sets them apart, though, from any other exceptionally handsome young men is their astute understanding of the female gaze and their adept ability to cater naturally to it.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
Since being sworn in, Hodge Washington has shown a fierce level of independent thinking on the council, challenging council staff with astute questions and adeptly navigating contentious matters facing her district and citywide.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for astute 
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
Through a rich heritage, carefully crafted brand strategies and astute business acumen, Montblanc has built an enduring legacy of distinction.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
What sets them apart, though, from any other exceptionally handsome young men is their astute understanding of the female gaze and their adept ability to cater naturally to it.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
Since being sworn in, Hodge Washington has shown a fierce level of independent thinking on the council, challenging council staff with astute questions and adeptly navigating contentious matters facing her district and citywide.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for astute
Dictionary Entries Near astute
Cite this Entry
“Astute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astute. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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