savvy
Americanadjective
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
-
to understand or get the sense of (an idea, etc)
-
I don't (he doesn't, etc) understand
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of savvy
First recorded in 1775–85; from Spanish sabe, 3rd-person singular present of saber “to know,” from Latin sapere “to be wise, taste”; see sapient
Explanation
You are known as someone with a lot of business savvy, but only because you've managed to keep your staggering debts a secret. Which is actually pretty savvy. Someone who is savvy is shrewd and perceptive. Most English words stem directly from other European languages, like French and Latin. Not savvy. It comes from the West Indies, a twist on the French savez vous? — “Do you know?” Savvy was first recorded in its adjective form in 1905. Synonyms for the noun form include acumen, discernment, grasp, perception, and sharpness.
Vocabulary lists containing savvy
This Week in Words: August 11 - 17, 2018
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The Things They Carried
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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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.
The Raiders will have a sixth head coach for their seventh season in Las Vegas, but after all the turmoil they finally they look like heading in the right direction with some savvy picks.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Trades that would be slam-dunk criminal cases if they were mapped onto the stock market are, in prediction markets, either a little bit fishy or the mark of a savvy trader.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
A savvy Navy secretary can be much more than a ribbon cutter, and few projects are as worth the President’s time as making sure America’s naval fleet is prepared to meet the Chinese challenge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Every now and again, Monica, as much savvy therapist as all-knowing seer, interrupts Jean’s first-person account to offer guidance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Lhakpa, an Everest veteran respected by Sherpas and sahibs alike for his mountain savvy, urged Hutchison to leave Beck and Yasuko where they lay.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
