sapient
Americanadjective
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having or showing great wisdom or sound judgment.
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having or showing self-awareness.
sapient life forms.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sapient
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English sapyent, from Latin sapient- (stem of sapiēns, present participle of sapere “to be wise,” literally, “to taste, have taste”), equivalent to sapi- verb stem + -ent- adjective suffix; see -ent
Explanation
Use the adjective sapient to describe someone who always gives the smartest advice, like your brilliant, insightful teacher or your wise little brother. Calling someone sapient is a compliment, since it means "insightful and wise," although it's often used in a sarcastic way: "My sapient adviser said I should major in Communications." The phrase "sapient life forms" shows up frequently in science fiction, as well. The Latin root is the verb sapere, "to be wise," which is also the origin of sapiens, "wise man," as in Homo sapiens, or the human species.
Vocabulary lists containing sapient
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.
Sapient has historically focused on solving complex technical problems for other companies, rather than on taking on outsourced work to lower clients’ costs, Vaz said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Sapient is now in conversations with clients “about how they’re actively going to transform,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
"As ever, Amazon's real strength comes from the breadth of its ecosystem," said Julian Skelly, managing partner at digital consultancy Publicis Sapient, Europe.
From BBC • Aug. 3, 2023
Dwight Hill, vice president of retail North America at digital consultancy Publicis Sapient, said that consumers have long been trained to wait for the best deals and watch retailers "race to the bottom."
From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2022
Sapient says The Council have considered my request, And find it inconsistent with the rules Of discipline and order to admit Women within their walls.
From Laura Secord, the heroine of 1812. A Drama. and Other Poems. by Curzon, Sarah Anne
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.
