as in wise
formal
having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious
She considers herself a perspicacious judge of character. The critic made some perspicacious observations about the film.
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Recent Examples of perspicacious
Instead, this trickster figure proffers the idea that Shakespeare was too perspicacious to be just some white guy.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious
Adjective
-
Getting a handle on almost seven decades' worth of clutter is a wise move.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
-
Wouldn't that be too difficult scheduling-wise?—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
And these regions are brilliant.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 June 2026
-
With first-half injury time winding down, Malik Tillman weighted a long pass to a streaking Balogun, who held up to create space and fired a brilliant shot into the far top corner.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The trouble is that the clever work is the part the market actually values.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Perspective widens as the intuitive Moon moves through your 9th House of Exploration, sextiling clever Mercury in your 11th House of Friendship.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
In an age of intelligent machines, who gets to decide what is orthodox remains one of the most important questions a free society can ask.—
Joseph Andrew,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Evangeline is an incredibly intelligent, talented, and heart-centered badass with the perfect voice for the project.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Travel costs keep climbing in 2026, and a wellness retreat at home is becoming the smarter way to reset without spending thousands on flights and resort stays.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
-
There’s also a smart key system with proximity detection, automatic steering wheel unlocking, and seat opening.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sarnoski deromanticizes the legend with keen attention to historic and atmospheric detail, and a studious interest in how stories are told and retold through time.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
After knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup, for example, Croatia’s players were keen to throw that line back in their face afterwards.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
At scholarship level especially, his record was exceptional — in the 2023-24 campaign, Wilson averaged a goal every 64 minutes, netting 16 in 13 games.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Passages like these have the curious effect of retrofitting Sinking’s less exceptional moments with their elegant modernity.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Sun kept regenerating its championship aspirations with astute moves, like the trade to get Jones.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
-
Frenchie's flameout was epic and hilarious, Derek X was astute and entertaining, and Claire easily could have been a serious contender on another season.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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