penetrative

[ pen-i-trey-tiv ]
See synonyms for penetrative on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. tending to penetrate; piercing.

  2. acute; keen.

Origin of penetrative

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word penetrātīvus.See penetrate, -ive

Other words from penetrative

  • pen·e·tra·tive·ly, adverb
  • pen·e·tra·tive·ness, pen·e·tra·tiv·i·ty [pen-i-truh-tiv-i-tee], /ˌpɛn ɪ trəˈtɪv ɪ ti/, noun
  • un·pen·e·tra·tive, adjective
  • un·pen·e·tra·tive·ly, adverb

Words Nearby penetrative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use penetrative in a sentence

  • Some are able to draw conclusions well from a few premisses, and this shows a penetrative intellect.