adjective
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keen or incisive
trenchant criticism
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vigorous and effective
a trenchant foreign policy
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distinctly defined
a trenchant outline
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archaic sharp
a trenchant sword
Other Word Forms
- trenchancy noun
- trenchantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of trenchant
1275–1325; Middle English tranchaunt < Anglo-French; Old French trenchant, present participle of trenchier to cut. See trench, -ant
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.
Still, China’s stagnant dollar economy is at the heart of many of its most trenchant problems.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
He has trenchant critics, and potential rivals, but still has approval ratings of which most western leaders can only dream.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
Jude is especially trenchant about how these realities are sold to us, and what’s inherently funny and tragic about that.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025
Smith understood how her features cut into and through a role – wide eyes amply lidded, trenchant cheekbones, features that one might associate with snobbery.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2024
Incī′sive, having the quality of cutting into: trenchant: acute: sarcastic.—adv.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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.
