perspicuous
Americanadjective
-
clearly expressed or presented; lucid.
- Synonyms:
- explicit, distinct, plain, intelligible
- Antonyms:
- indistinct, obscure
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perspicuous
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin perspicuus “transparent, clearly visible,” equivalent to perspic(ere), “to look over, inspect, survey” (formed from preposition and prefix per, per- “through; thoroughly” + -spicere, combining form of specere “to see, observe, look”) + -uus adjective suffix; see per-, inspect )
Explanation
Perspicuous is an adjective describing language that is clear and easy to understand. When you give a presentation, you should speak in a perspicuous manner so that everyone will be able to follow you. Someone who is perspicuous speaks in a way that makes the meaning absolutely clear. The word perspicuous dates from the 15th century and comes from the Latin word perspicuus, meaning “transparent, clear,” which comes from the verb perspicere, meaning “to look at closely." Language that is perspicuous is language that is easily understood — to the point where you can almost see it.
Vocabulary lists containing perspicuous
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David Copperfield
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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.
But were Tagovailoa a combat sport athlete — a boxer or mixed martial artist — there would be a timeline for return as perspicuous as if he were found to be taking banned performance-enhancing drugs.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 7, 2022
But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022
A perspicuous and painful study of a family that has risen from rags to wretchedness.
From Time Magazine Archive
He returned to the table, and once more took up his quill; all, once more, was perspicuous serenity.
From Time Magazine Archive
These lesser compositions show his mastery of simple and perspicuous style; but the specific qualities of his best work, its color and imagery and pointed humor, are absent.
From Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature Part 1 (of 2) by John Addington Symonds
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.
