incisive
Americanadjective
adjective
-
keen, penetrating, or acute
-
biting or sarcastic; mordant
an incisive remark
-
having a sharp cutting edge
incisive teeth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incisive
From the Medieval Latin word incīsīvus, dating back to 1520–30. See incise, -ive
Explanation
The adjective incisive describes something that is sharp, decisive, and direct. A comment that cuts right to the bone can be just as incisive as an actual knife. The word incisive is rooted in a Latin word that literally means "to cut with a sharp edge." To help you remember the meaning, you can think of the similar word, incisors, which are the teeth that are sharp and cut and tear. The more figurative meaning of describing something that is mentally sharp first appeared in the 1850s. Keen criticism and cutting remarks have been called incisive ever since.
Vocabulary lists containing incisive
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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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.
He posits that all the various forms of our modern alienation are connected, drawing throughlines that are both preposterous and incisive as he shows his work.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
It "pulls off an incredible double feat: it succeeds as both a romance and an incisive postcolonial novel," said Brown.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Carla Arbez is a sharp, incisive fly-half - a lovely chip-and-chase score against Scotland showing her talents - and only Meg Jones has beaten more defenders in the championship.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Epic novels like the 800-page “Anna Karenina” have fallen out of favor, replaced by short, incisive literature that mimics our digital lives.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Then as now, Joe had one of the sharpest, most incisive minds I have ever encountered.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
