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perspicacious
adjective
Did you know?
Some perspective on perspicacious: the word combines the Latin perspicac- (from perspicax meaning “clear-sighted,” which in turn comes from perspicere, “to see through”) with the common English adjective suffix -ious. The result is a somewhat uncommon word used to describe someone (such as a reader or observer) or something (such as an essay or analysis) displaying the perception and understanding of subtleties others tend to miss, such as the distinctions between the words perspicacious, shrewd, sagacious, and astute—something our synonym chooser can help with.
shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment.
shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.
sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.
perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.
astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.
Examples of perspicacious in a Sentence
Word History
Latin perspicac-, perspicax, from perspicere
1640, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspicacious. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
perspicacious
adjective
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