incisive

adjective

in·ci·sive in-ˈsī-siv

Synonyms of incisive next

: impressively direct and decisive (as in manner or presentation)

an incisive analysis

an incisive unsentimental writer

incisively adverb

incisiveness noun

Did you know?

Incisive has meant "impressively direct and decisive" since around 1834 and derives from the Latin verb caedere, meaning "to cut." Its linguistic kin include many cuttings from the fruitful stem caedere, such as scissors, chisel, incise ("to cut into or engrave"), excise ("to remove by cutting"), incisor ("a front tooth typically adapted for cutting"), incision ("cut" or "gash"), precise ("minutely exact"), and concise ("brief"). Incisive also carries a couple of lesser-known literal meanings relating to cutting: "having a cutting edge or piercing point" (as in "incisive fangs"), and, in dentistry, "of, relating to, or situated near the incisors."

Examples of incisive in a Sentence

She's known for her incisive mind and quick wit.

Recent Examples on the Web Mitski’s incisive lyricism will always be a calling card, but these 11 lush, organic songs are worth getting lost in before her words help guide the listener back home. —

Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 15 Sep. 2023 As a few incisive flashbacks reveal, Rose grew up in immense wealth but never quite bought into the entitlement and expectations. —

Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023 As a rapper, her incisive lyrics and rhythmic cadence carried messages of social consciousness, shedding light on issues affecting marginalized communities, particularly the Black community. —

Shelby Stewart, Essence, 11 Aug. 2023 Based on Ide Jessen’s 2020 historical novel The Captain and Ann Barbara, the script by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen lays out the exposition with brisk efficiency and incisive character definition. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023 As is common in Arriaga’s scripts, the tale finds its potency in the intricate moral grays of the human condition, here portrayed through a collection of strikingly incisive performances by the young cast. —

Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023 Betts then offered those people an apropos display of his unique skill set on Friday and Saturday, an incisive reminder of what the Red Sox gave away. —

Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023 The first season, set amid the frenzy of the 2016 election, was one of the surprise treats of 2022 TV, a sneakily incisive commentary on the gospel of the hustle. —

James Poniewozik, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023 Advertisement Could there be a more incisive diagnosis of our era? —

Ron Charles, Washington Post, 25 July 2023 See More

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