as in wise
formal
having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious
She considers herself a perspicacious judge of character. The critic made some perspicacious observations about the film.
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Recent Examples of perspicacious
Instead, this trickster figure proffers the idea that Shakespeare was too perspicacious to be just some white guy.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious
Adjective
-
Set a clear cap before booking so plans stay wise.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
-
Zacha would not be the only player who would be wise to keep.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sweden had plenty of chances to score before that, but Netherlands’ goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was brilliant in the first half with four saves.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
-
Their brilliant agent, Bob Broder, shopped our offer to other potential buyers, but no one was as desperate as NBC.—
Warren Littlefield,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is an Edwardian- inspired new build, so the rooms are large (starting at 290 square feet) with clever details throughout, such as reassuringly spacious showers and barista-style Morning coffee machines—a welcome upgrade on noisy Nespresso units.—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
-
With a boost from Randy Newman’s clever score, the Buzz Lightyear sections are hilarious.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
The human brain is the ultimate existence proof that intelligent systems that are vastly more energy-efficient than today’s AI are physically possible.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
It was revered for its intelligent satire of modern society and materialism, providing sight gags and slapstick humor for kids while proving relatable for young adults learning to navigate life.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
But behind every chatbot, smart assistant and AI image generator sits a massive physical network.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
-
The plot sees Bonnie, now eight, increasingly drawn to a smart tablet, Lilypad, challenging her traditional toys led by Jessie.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Netflix executives are known to be keen to see how users engage with linear channels, though the company also expects much of the viewing to be concentrated on TF1’s on-demand content.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
According to Canine Companions, goldens have a keen insight into human emotional cues, not just commands.—
Pat Mueller,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Each is 72+ pages long and features an exceptional design printed on premium paper.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 June 2026
-
So to commemorate the occasion, the distillery team decided to release a pair of truly rare and exceptional age statement expressions.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Forget about the astute narration (barbershops, bankers and roundabouts).—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The two were walking around the Hotel Royal in Evian-les-Bains, France, when the conversation was overheard by astute observers.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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