Word of the Day

: November 14, 2009

perspicuous

adjective per-SPIK-yuh-wus

What It Means

: plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation

perspicuous in Context

"His language is very pure, perspicuous, and to the point." (John Kaminski, The Capital Times [Madison, Wisconsin], October 11, 2006)

Did You Know?

"Perspicuous" is based on Latin "perspicere," meaning "to see through," so that which is perspicuous is clear and understandable. "Perspicuous" has a close cousin, "perspicacious," which is used of a person with astute insight. Both words come directly from Latin adjectives that mean the same thing they do: "perspicuous" from "perspicuus," and "perspicacious" from "perspicax." Needless to say, it's possible to confuse the two. One easy way to keep out of trouble is to think of "perspicUous" as the "U" word, and remember that it means "Understandable" -- in contrast to the "A" word, "perspicAcious," which means "Astute."