Definition of ACUITY

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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the two daughters have their own anguish to deal with, all pricked out by Ms. Hadley with her characteristic acuity. — Katherine A. Powers, WSJ, "‘Late in the Day’ Review: And Then They Were Three," 11 Jan. 2019 That brilliance loses some of its acuity as the episodes progress; the intrigue becomes so dizzyingly complex that the control of the early episodes is somewhat wasted. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "Bodyguard Is the Best Political Thriller Since Homeland," 24 Oct. 2018 The White House meeting itself was extraordinary, an extended negotiating session that was broadcast by the news channels at a time when questions about Mr. Trump’s mental acuity and fitness for his job have been dominating the headlines. — Julie Hirschfeld Davis And Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, "Trump Appears to Endorse Path to Citizenship for Millions of Immigrants," 9 Jan. 2018 Half the sample averaged less than 6.4 hours of sleep a night—a pattern that was associated with impaired problem-solving, reasoning and verbal acuity. — Susan Pinker, WSJ, "When It Comes to Sleep, One Size Fits All," 25 Oct. 2018 And to Timberland for having the acuity to sign you up. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, "Timberland’s First-Ever Creative Director, Christopher Raeburn, Talks," 25 Oct. 2018 Lynette Yiadom-Boakye contributes half a dozen fictional portraits with, as usual, psychological acuity but overly hasty brushwork. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "At the Berlin Biennale, the Art of Saying ‘No’," 12 June 2018 Under the bill, grants to community hospitals will be based on factors such as patient acuity and patient mix. — Michael P. Norton, BostonGlobe.com, "Beacon Hill lawmakers approve health care reform legislation," 20 June 2018 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

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.