sagacity

American  

[suh-gas-i-tee] / səˈgæs ɪ ti /

noun

1. acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment.

---

sagacity British  

/ səˈɡæsɪtɪ /

noun

1. foresight, discernment, or keen perception; ability to make good judgments

---

Etymology

Origin of sagacity

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin sagācitās “wisdom,” equivalent to sagāci- (stem of sagāx ) “wise” (akin to seek ) + -tās noun suffix; -ty ²

Explanation

If you are wise and prone to evaluating information before making a decision, you possess sagacity, the trait of solid judgment and intelligent choices. And if that is indeed the case, then good for you! We need more sound thinkers. The Latin word sagācitās is the great-granddaddy of our word sagacity, giving it the meaning "wisdom." Just remember that it contains the word sage, which means "wise one" — our wise ancestors were called "Sages." But before we get too puffed up, we need to remember that in the 17th and 18th centuries, sagacity meant "the acute sense of smell in animals." How humbling. Still, if you display sagacity, you can sniff out a good idea from a bad one.

Example Sentences

The Fed undermines this premise four times a year by giving the public ample grounds to question officials’ sagacity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

It did, however label me as “a highly respected and accomplished journalist who has made significant contributions to the field of journalism,” which suggests it isn’t entirely lacking in sagacity and sound judgment.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2023

These personal notes, with whiffs of sentiment and dollops of sagacity, constitute the bulk of Diop’s novel, giving it a confessional bent that leans on Senegalese cultural practices and history from the 18th century.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2023

This mathematical and astronomical feat is one of Thales’s several claims to sagacity.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

For all his sagacity, for all his caution and astuteness, the old judge had gone the way of the rest.

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie