perspicacious

[ pur-spi-key-shuhs ]
See synonyms for: perspicaciousperspicaciouslyperspicaciousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning: to exhibit perspicacious judgment.

  2. Archaic. having keen vision.

Origin of perspicacious

1
First recorded in 1610–20; perspicaci(ty) + -ous

Other words for perspicacious

Opposites for perspicacious

Other words from perspicacious

  • per·spi·ca·cious·ly, adverb
  • per·spi·ca·cious·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with perspicacious

Words Nearby perspicacious

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

How to use perspicacious in a sentence

  • This new slight bitterness extended even to his thoughts about the perspicacious Minetta.

    Mushroom Town | Oliver Onions
  • She consulted with the perspicacious Mr. Harris, and especially sought from him detailed information as to partnership law.

    Within the Law | Marvin Dana
  • Do you fear to quote the sublimated utterances of the perspicacious, although pleonastic philosopher?

  • That date may indicate, to a perspicacious observer, the epoch at which Flore Brazier ceased to be an honest girl.

    The Two Brothers | Honore de Balzac
  • We may quote a paragraph from the pen of "Home Counties," a well-known and perspicacious writer on agricultural topics.

    The Romance of Modern Mechanism | Archibald Williams

British Dictionary definitions for perspicacious

perspicacious

/ (ˌpɜːspɪˈkeɪʃəs) /


adjective
  1. acutely perceptive or discerning

  2. archaic having keen eyesight

Origin of perspicacious

1
C17: from Latin perspicax, from perspicere to look at closely; see perspective

Derived forms of perspicacious

  • perspicaciously, adverb
  • perspicacity (ˌpɜːspɪˈkæsɪtɪ) or perspicaciousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012