sagacious

[ suh-gey-shuhs ]

adjective

1. having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd:

   Socrates, that sagacious Greek philosopher, believed that the easiest way to learn was by asking questions.

   Synonyms: perspicacious, keen, sharp, acute, judicious, intelligent, clever, discerning, sage, wise

   Antonyms: unwise

2. Obsolete. having an acute sense of smell.

sagacious

/ səˈɡeɪʃəs /

adjective

1. having or showing sagacity; wise
2. obsolete.
   (of hounds) having an acute sense of smell

Derived Forms

• saˈgaciousness, noun
• saˈgaciously, adverb

Other Words From

• sa·gacious·ly adverb
• sa·gacious·ness noun
• quasi-sa·gacious adjective
• quasi-sa·gacious·ly adverb
• super·sa·gacious adjective
• super·sa·gacious·ly adverb
• super·sa·gacious·ness noun
• unsa·gacious adjective
• unsa·gacious·ly adverb
• unsa·gacious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sagacious¹

First recorded in 1600–10; sagaci(ty) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sagacious¹

C17: from Latin sagāx, from sāgīre to be astute

Example Sentences

May fortune gift you with speedy editing fingers and a sagacious mind to come up with the perfect reactions to every conversation.

From Popular-Science

The environmentalist movement that was cultivated here has given rise to an entire generation of engineers, scientists, and designers who have started to pay closer attention to the ways that nature can be the most sagacious teacher.

From Nautilus

When storm clouds start to form, sagacious leaders deal with them before things get out of hand.

From The Daily Beast

Houses innumerable had been built for it on deck, but the sagacious animal had a rooted antipathy to restraint.

From Project Gutenberg

They had not gone far before the sagacious animal began to bark.

From Project Gutenberg

Caroline tells her friends things which she thinks exceedingly flattering, but which cause a sagacious husband to make a wry face.

From Project Gutenberg

The sapajous are very sagacious and dexterous: they go in companies, and mutually warn and assist each other.

From Project Gutenberg

But he was a firm, sagacious leader, with the personal magnetism to attract devotion.

From Project Gutenberg