Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective perspicuous differ from other similar words?

The words clear and lucid are common synonyms of perspicuous. While all three words mean "quickly and easily understood," perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear.

a perspicuous style

When is clear a more appropriate choice than perspicuous?

While the synonyms clear and perspicuous are close in meaning, clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity.

clear instructions

When might lucid be a better fit than perspicuous?

In some situations, the words lucid and perspicuous are roughly equivalent. However, lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement.

a lucid explanation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perspicuous But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity. Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022 Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous. The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020 The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations. Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017 Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker. Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicuous
Adjective
  • But in terms of the excitement and electricity, the parallels between Verlander and Skubal are obvious.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told Newsweek the most obvious impact from the smoke would be hazy skies, which could contribute to visually beautiful sunrises and sunsets in the affected areas.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond the physical abuse, Cassie endured a steady drumbeat of insidious threats that sent an unmistakable message: the violence could escalate at any moment.
    Lauren Hersh, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
  • The unmistakable message: in Welch’s House of Representatives, Democratic moderates who think for themselves and question their own party’s orthodoxies are unwelcome.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • That license is currently set to expire on May 27, but sources indicate it may now be extended by 60 days — an apparent diplomatic concession aimed at easing tensions and fostering future cooperation.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
  • Perhaps more than any other genre, the evolution of punk rock (both in Los Angeles and around the world) is never more apparent than in the age range of bands at music festivals.
    Josh Chesler, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Every detail is considered, down to the most straightforward dish on the menu and its namesake.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 May 2025
  • But unlike those diseases, there’s a fairly straightforward way to detect NPH and address some of its most debilitating symptoms.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • The effect was evident in women, but not statistically significant in men.
    Carla K. Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
  • And the sense of community that this helps to build will, of course, be evident when those enthusiastic readers meet each other and some of their literary heroes next month.
    Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • However the trade war ends, the message from American industry is clear: there can be no going back to the pre-Trump U.S.-China economic relationship.
    John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
  • Just clear structure, early accountability and transparent expectations.
    Ryan Hohman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Within such simulations, there will be three distinct participant groups: 1.
    Ivan Shvaichenko, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • There is a distinct difference between the two eras.
    Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuous. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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