acumen
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of acumen
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin acūmen “sharpness,” from acū-, stem of acuere “to sharpen” ( see acute) + -men, noun suffix
Explanation
If you have acumen, you are very sharp at what you do. You hope your accountant and your surgeon are both known for their acumen. The noun acumen comes from the Latin word acumen, meaning “a point,” or “sting.” If you are able to make pointed decisions, if you have a sharp intellect, if you make good strategic moves, if you are successful in your field, or if your business instincts are spot-on, you have acumen. Even if you inherit an entire wholesale furniture dynasty from your grandfather, you could end up with nothing if you don’t have his business acumen.
Vocabulary lists containing acumen
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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GRE Verbal Reasoning, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Matt Wills is the co-founder of a firm called Acumen, which advises retail firms on how much they should sell their products for.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023
Last month the GCF disbursed $5 million to Acumen Fund, which is managing the project.
From Reuters • Oct. 14, 2016
Acumen, an early impact investor that’s put more than $30 million into East African startups, helped in 2014 with an additional $400,000 for a 17% stake in the next two clinics.
From Time • Jul. 16, 2015
James developed a reputation in the e-commerce and venture capital world because he helped Acumen secure $100 million in outside funding and become a major player in online retail.
From Washington Times • May 17, 2015
One day I will send you the little Correspondence between T. C. and p. 231his intelligent Friend, as rather a Curiosity in Historical Acumen.
From Letters of Edward FitzGerald in Two Volumes Vol. II by Wright, William Aldis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
