sagacious

American  

[suh-gey-shuhs] / səˈgeɪ ʃəs /

adjective

1. having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd.

   Socrates, that sagacious Greek philosopher, believed that the easiest way to learn was by asking questions.

   Synonyms:

   perspicacious, keen, sharp, acute, judicious, intelligent, clever, discerning, sage, wise

   Antonyms:

   unwise

2. Obsolete. having an acute sense of smell.

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sagacious British  

/ səˈɡeɪʃəs /

adjective

1. having or showing sagacity; wise

2. obsolete (of hounds) having an acute sense of smell

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-sagacious adjective
• quasi-sagaciously adverb
• sagaciously adverb
• sagaciousness noun
• supersagacious adjective
• supersagaciously adverb
• supersagaciousness noun
• unsagacious adjective
• unsagaciously adverb
• unsagaciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of sagacious

First recorded in 1600–10; sagaci(ty) + -ous

Explanation

Use the formal adjective sagacious to describe someone who is wise and insightful like an advisor to the president or a Supreme Court justice. Someone like an inspirational leader or an expert in a field who seeks knowledge and has foresight can be described as sagacious. If you comment on something at a deeper level, you are making a sagacious observation. The word is a descendent of Latin sagus "prophetic" and is related to the Old English word seek. Synonyms include discerning, insightful and another formal word perspicacious.

Example Sentences

Not many countries are often blessed with as sagacious a leader as Mariano, but many a family and institution will, through him, be reminded of the worth of such august figures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

“Even at an early age, Charlie showed sagacious negotiating ability, and usually gained a bigger specimen or one with unusual coloring,” Broggie wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023

That Fonzic at times appears perfectly pleasant, even sagacious when he, for instance, invokes certain revisionist versions of American history, is a testament to Cluzet’s charms.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2023

So the midfielder was inserted alongside 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi and 20-year-olds Brenden Aaronson and Sergiño Dest in an American lineup captained by Tyler Adams, a sagacious 22-year-old.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 8, 2021

The Water Angel is of the sagacious variety—wise beyond her years, which says a lot, considering how old she is.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman