shrewdness

[shrood-nis]

noun

1. the quality of being astute or sharp in practical matters; the ability to find and pursue the most advantageous course of action, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise.

   He had the gift of storytelling, but not the ordinary shrewdness to convert the talent into a bankable asset.

   Michnik says that the marketplace frequently “chooses banality over excellence, shrewdness over nobility, empty promise over true competence.”

Other Word Forms

• unshrewdness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrewdness¹

shrewd ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Related Words

• acumen 
• sharpness www.thesaurus.com