acuity

[uh-kyoo-i-tee]

noun

1. sharpness; acuteness; keenness.

   acuity of vision;

   acuity of mind.

acuity

/ əˈkjuːɪtɪ /

noun

1. keenness or acuteness, esp in vision or thought

2. the capacity of the eye to see fine detail, measured by determining the finest detail that can just be detected

Other Word Forms

• hyperacuity noun
• nonacuity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of acuity¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English acuite, from Old French, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin acuitās, equivalent to Latin acu(ere) to sharpen or acū ( tus ) sharpened ( acute ) + -itās -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of acuity¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin acūtus _acute

Example Sentences

And, just in case a few of those pesky radicals slip through the cracks, train in Krav Maga and keep a strict diet and exercise regimen to maintain optimal mental and physical acuity.

Read more on Salon

Though some patients could make out patterns immediately, all patients' visual acuity improved over months of training.

Read more on Science Daily

“We anticipate the existing rate and acuity mismatch will extend well into next year,” UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Tim Noel said on the company’s last earnings call.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"They don't identify how much help each eye needs, it just quantifies what level of acuity a child has - what size letters a child can see."

Read more on BBC

But it’s not just his own mortality, shrinking mental acuity and the Jeffrey Epstein case that is scaring him.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• awareness 
• brilliance 
• guile 
• ingenuity 
• insight 
• intellect 
• intelligence 
• intuition 
• judgment 
• sensitivity 
• shrewdness 
• vision 
• wisdom 
• wit