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.
Examples of acuity in a Sentence
Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 25 Dec. 2025
The relationship between mother and daughter—depicted with layered acuity and fraught with shame, disgust, love, desire, betrayal, veneration, and rage—is the burning centre of the novel.
—Hazlitt, 23 Dec. 2025
Lee throws himself into all of it with a sad-sack slapstick energy that never undercuts—and, remarkably, even enhances—the psychological acuity of his acting.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
The incident reportedly left the 22-year-old — who Jeffrey claims has the mental acuity of an 11-year-old — with bruises on her wrist from zip ties used to restrain her.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acuity
Cite this Entry
“Acuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acuity. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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acuity
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