astute

adjective

as·​tute ə-ˈstüt How to pronounce astute (audio)
a-,
-ˈstyüt
: having or showing shrewdness and an ability to notice and understand things clearly : mentally sharp or clever
an astute observer
astute remarks
also : crafty, wily
astutely adverb
astuteness noun

Did you know?

Astute comes from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft." The word implies being keenly observant and forming sound judgments based on knowledge and experience.

Choose the Right Synonym for astute

shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment.

shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

Examples of astute in a Sentence

We thought they were not very intellectually astute, but we didn't really understand how political a lot of what they were doing was. Ben Wallace-Wells, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007
He asked astute diagnosticians around the country how they approached and cracked difficult diagnoses and what happened when they failed. Misdiagnosis is not an insignificant problem: Groopman cites a finding that between one in six and one in seven patients is incorrectly assessed. Ruth Levy Guyer, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2007
And finally, even if she had never actually uttered the bon mot that would be famously attributed to her, that if she had two heads, she would risk one in the king's service, could the astute young duchess actually have had input into the implausible negotiations? Harvey Rachlin, Scandals, Vandals, and Da Vincis, 2007
Focusing largely upon Western alchemy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, she has a sharp eye for how alchemical images surface in literature of that period. Readers of Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare will find illuminating insights. Abraham reveals the far reaches of her astute literary intelligence by analyzing alchemical imagery encoded in a broad range of works, from Chaucer and Milton to Vladimir Nabokov and P. G. Wodehouse. Norman Weinstein, Parabola, November 1999
He is an astute observer of the current political scene. Astute readers will notice the error. His analysis of the battle was very astute.
Recent Examples on the Web The result is an astute personality test for any onlooker: Is the woman in the picture actually going to hell – or emerging from it? Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 However, astute operators can proactively mitigate these challenges by turning toward their franchisor for insight and creating a plan for action. Gigi Schweikert, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 After a 30-year-stint in Chicago, Elsbeth Tascioni is delighted to bring her astute point of view and unusual way of examining cases to New York City. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 And astute soccer fans will know that Durban was also behind the $500 million purchase of a minority share in Manchester City, a landmark transfer inked in 2019. James McClain, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024 But economic policymaking is an art that requires delicate timing and astute political judgment. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 The judge was astute enough to immediately question any attorney asserting something about the law and probing what case law supported their posture. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Judith Tick proves to be the astute biographer that Fitzgerald deserves. Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024 Here, more data translates into heightened predictions, enriched user experiences and astute decision-making. Kannan Venkatraman, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin astutus, from astus craft

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of astute was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Astute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astute. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

astute

adjective
as·​tute ə-ˈst(y)üt How to pronounce astute (audio)
a-
: having or showing understanding and the skill to make good choices or decisions : wise, shrewd
an astute investor
astutely adverb
astuteness noun

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