shrewdness

[ shrood-nis ]

/ ˈʃrud nɪs /

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noun

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.”

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of shrewdness

shrewd + -ness

OTHER WORDS FROM shrewdness

un·shrewd·ness, noun

Words nearby shrewdness

shredding, Shreveport, shrew, shrewd, shrewdie, shrewdness, shrewish, shrew mole, shrewmouse, Shrewsbury, Shri

How to use shrewdness in a sentence

The answer didn’t gel with his decades-long experience as a shrewd observer of market shakeouts.
Tesla, GameStop, and the power of ‘meme stocks’|Robert Hackett|January 27, 2021|Fortune
That’s why many shrewd observers have looked to this year’s report to provide a particularly important gauge.
GLAAD TV report reminds us that representation still matters|John Paul King|January 20, 2021|Washington Blade
Join the brilliant minds, leading founders, shrewd investors and boundary-pushing engineers determined to shape the future of space exploration and everything that entails.
48 hours left to save on tickets to TC Sessions: Space 2020|Alexandra Ames|November 12, 2020|TechCrunch
In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness; persistence and faith.
Full Text of President Obama's Eulogy for Nelson Mandela|The Daily Beast|December 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Here we saw many types of the Yorkshire man, famed for his shrewdness and fondness for what we would call "dickering."
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
Scotch shrewdness expresses itself in a phraseology all its own, and of which Donald alone possesses the secret.
Friend Mac Donald|Max O'Rell
Scotch shrewdness has occasionally a certain smack of mild hypocrisy, which, however, does no harm to anyone.
Friend Mac Donald|Max O'Rell
Arnold paused, and his glance held something of shrewdness and a livening challenge.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse
There is an air of anxious expectancy about him, with a look of Semitic shrewdness in the long, narrow face.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman