perspicuous

adjective

per·​spic·​u·​ous pər-ˈspi-kyə-wəs 

: plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation

a perspicuous argument

perspicuity

ˌpər-spə-ˈkyü-ə-tē 

noun

perspicuously

pər-ˈspi-kyə-wəs-lē 

adverb

perspicuousness noun

Did you know?

Perspicuous is based on Latin perspicere, meaning "to see through," so that which is perspicuous is clear and understandable. Perspicuous has a close cousin, perspicacious, which is used of a person with astute insight. Both words come directly from Latin adjectives that mean the same thing they do: perspicuous from perspicuus, and perspicacious from perspicax. Needless to say, it's possible to confuse the two. One easy way to keep out of trouble is to think of perspicUous as the "U" word, and remember that it means "Understandable"—in contrast to the "A" word, perspicAcious, which means "Astute."

Synonyms

• obvious
• unmistakable
• apparent
• evident
• straightforward
• clear
• distinct

Choose the Right Synonym for perspicuous

clear, perspicuous, lucid mean quickly and easily understood.

clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity.

clear instructions

perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear.

a perspicuous style

lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement.

a lucid explanation

Examples of perspicuous in a Sentence

believing that poetry need not be as perspicuous as prose, he writes poems that are intentionally ambiguous

Recent Examples on the Web

But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity. —Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022

Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous. —The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020

The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations. —Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017

Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker. —Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin perspicuus transparent, perspicuous, from perspicere

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

perspicuous

adjective

per·​spic·​u·​ous pər-ˈspik-yə-wəs 

1

: plain to the understanding : clear

2

: expressing oneself clearly

perspicuity

ˌpər-spə-ˈkyü-ət-ē 

noun

perspicuously

pər-ˈspik-yə-wə-slē 

adverb

perspicuousness noun