as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
believing that poetry need not be as perspicuous as prose, he writes poems that are intentionally ambiguous
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Recent Examples of perspicuous
But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity.
—
Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations.
—Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017
Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker.
—Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations.
—Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017
Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker.
—Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicuous
Adjective
-
Light damage is less obvious, but just as destructive.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Yet Bob Atrops was an obvious suspect.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The deep greens and cheery set pieces that mirror Seurat’s unmistakable style play well with Madeline Berger’s wide-ranging and highly effective costume design, all put together through David Mӧschler’s music direction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The arrival of the cold front and blizzard was unmistakable.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The marijuana dealer, an apparent friend of Tatmon, got into an argument.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
After the team’s latest loss, LeBron James addressed the ESPN report that detailed Lakers governor Jeanie Buss’ apparent frustrations with the four-time NBA champion.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What's already evident is that the capital flows are substantial and the strategic questions are real.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The consequences of that dependency were evident after Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, when customers reported price increases ranging from 800% to 1,500%, with little recourse beyond acceptance or costly migration.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless of how favorable the figures appear, stock investment is never a straightforward path.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Across from this transforming toilet room, the kitchen remains more straightforward and traditional.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The answer became partly clear when a series of leaks known as the Congo Hold‑Up showed that Joseph Kabila Kabange, the former president, and his entourage had used a bank called BGFI to siphon at least $138 million from the country.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Despite this, the particles still form interference patterns, a clear sign of wave-like behavior.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But beyond all that, the sports issue has brought out the reality of biology itself, underscoring the fact that femininity and masculinity are not just states of mind, and that men and women are irreversibly, insurmountably different and distinct in anatomy and physiology.—
Alanna Smith,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The stimulation produces a distinct physical sensation inside the nose.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuous. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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