acuity
noun
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Do you have acuity or sensitivity?
Acuity is nearly synonymous with at least one sense of sensitivity, yet, as is so often the case with closely-related words, there are subtle differences worth observing before you substitute one of these words for the other. Acuity does refer to a form of sensitivity, but it is most often applied to the perceptual senses (as in “visual acuity” or “auditory acuity”). It is also frequently used in reference to the intellect (as in “mental acuity”). Sensitivity has a broader range of meanings than acuity does, including “the capacity of being easily hurt.” It may be used of inanimate objects such as radios (“the sensitivity of the instruments was carefully calibrated”), a context in which acuity is unusual.
Synonyms
Examples of acuity in a Sentence
Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Angela Barrett lost her father twice: First, during her childhood in Miami-Dade, when the ravages of schizophrenia robbed him of his mental acuity, and again, decades later, when state mental health administrators assigned him to the same bedroom as a man who once sliced his own mother’s throat.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for acuity 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acuity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Acuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acuity. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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acuity
noun
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acuity
noun
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