This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
trenchant
[ tren-chuhnt ]
/ ˈtrɛn tʃənt /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit.
vigorous; effective; energetic: a trenchant policy of political reform.
clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of trenchant
OTHER WORDS FROM trenchant
trench·an·cy, nountrench·ant·ly, adverbWords nearby trenchant
tremor, tremulant, tremulous, trenail, trench, trenchant, Trenchard, trench coat, trencher, trencherman, trenches
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use trenchant in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for trenchant
trenchant
/ (ˈtrɛntʃənt) /
adjective
keen or incisivetrenchant criticism
vigorous and effectivea trenchant foreign policy
distinctly defineda trenchant outline
archaic, or poetic sharpa trenchant sword
Derived forms of trenchant
trenchancy, nountrenchantly, adverbWord Origin for trenchant
C14: from Old French trenchant cutting, from trenchier to cut; see trench
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012