acuity

noun acu·i·ty \ ə-ˈkyü-ə-tē , a- \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: acuity in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Do you have acuity or sensitivity?

Definition of acuity

plural acuities

: keenness of perception

hearing acuity

mental acuity

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Examples of acuity in a Sentence

a worrisome deterioration in the acuity of his hearing over the years

Recent Examples of acuity from the Web

But brain structure alone doesn't fully account for SuperAgers' unusual mental acuity, Rogalski suggested.

— judith graham, courant.com, "An Active Social Life May Be A Secret To Brain Health," 1 June 2018
Tubman’s life story, Okoye’s words and music, and Pullum’s sublime musical and dramatic acuity united in a powerful reminder of history and affirmation of resilience.

— zoë madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Castle of our Skins celebrates music of black women," 28 May 2018
Weinzweig depicts with acuity the flanerie of those who want to kill time, as well as the strength needed to wait and the determination required of the passive.

— kathleen rooney, chicagotribune.com, "'Basic Black With Pearls' by Helen Weinzweig: A classic to revisit in this new feminist era," 23 Apr. 2018
Her Bartok was informed by her usual rhythmic acuity, a true poetic sensibility and a firm tone that held its own against Salonen’s attentive accompaniment.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Esa-Pekka Salonen wraps up CSO residency with an intense 'Transfigured Night'," 25 May 2018
Often the alarm about my hawkishness was given voice by random Russian citizens, chosen for their scrupulous honesty, no doubt, and the acuity of their political insights.

— john mccain, WSJ, "John McCain: ‘Vladimir Putin Is an Evil Man’," 10 May 2018
His acuity with historical resonance doesn’t have to.

— janet maslin, New York Times, "Jake Tapper’s ‘Hellfire Club’ Takes Us Back to McCarthy-Era America," 21 Apr. 2018
Astor was asked repeatedly to draw analog clocks as a test of her mental acuity.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Why you may be misunderstanding the mental test that Trump passed with flying colors," 17 Jan. 2018
Houston had the personnel and the basketball acuity to stifle the defending champs.

— the crossover staff, SI.com, "2018 NBA Finals: Warriors-Cavs IV Picks, Random Predictions and More," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acuity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of acuity

Middle English acuite "sharpness, acridity," borrowed from Middle French acuité, borrowed from Medieval Latin acuitāt-, acuitās, from Latin acu-, stem of acuere "to sharpen" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at acute

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1549

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year