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While the noun savvy, meaning "practical know-how" (as in "her political savvy"), and the adjective use (as in "a savvy investor") are more common, the verb savvy is the oldest of the trio. (If you associate it with Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, you'll be pleased to know his use—as in, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"—is not anachronistic; the verb was the only savvy option extant in the movies' early 18th-century setting.) Current evidence dates the verb savvy to the late 17th century, when English speakers altered a word—sabi, meaning "know"—they were hearing in English-based creoles and pidgins (a pidgin is a simplified language or dialect that speakers of different languages use to communicate with one another; a creole is a language that evolves from a pidgin to become a native language for a speech community). Sabi has its roots in Portuguese sabe, meaning "he knows," and it ultimately comes from Latin sapere, meaning "to be wise."
Synonyms
Adjective
- astute
- canny
- clear-eyed
- clear-sighted
- hard-boiled
- hardheaded
- heady
- knowing
- sharp
- sharp-witted
- shrewd
- smart
Noun
Verb
Examples of savvy in a Sentence
Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Below, find some of their savviest secrets for better trips.
—Stacey Lastoe, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2024
But Friese sees it as fertile ground for big, sweeping improvements and, above all, an opportunity for savvy entrepreneurs and investors to make real change.
—Marianne Lehnis, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
But the government’s rules assume that those real-world drivers will get savvier about plugging in their cars over time, says David Reichmuth, a senior engineer focusing on transportation at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a research and advocacy group.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2024
As a trio of savvy circus vets, Sara Gettelfinger, Stan Brown and Joe DePaul offer a welcome dose of levity to the at times interminable proceedings.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
The grounds are maintained but otherwise unimproved and ripe for a savvy landscape designer.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024
There are also savvy exchanges that reflect lingering issues of letting candidates speak their mind as opposed to what will poll best.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
Indeed, her self-branding as a wheeler-dealer is yet another step in her savvy journey up the industry ladder.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024
Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The answer is that King can give you her humor, her steel backbone, her savvy, her sense of righteousness, and her conviction that power really did belong to the people.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
The venture revealed the depth of Dawson’s administrative, organizational and promotional savvy.
—Michael J. Solender, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024
Griffin’s technical savvy as an assistant coach, particularly on the defensive end, was seen as a strength when he was hired – but his ability to reach players and form important relationships was perhaps his greatest attribute.
—Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024
Even in death, his sense of humor and pop-culture savvy surfaced.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
The same savvy will come in time for fake videos, Ms. Newman predicts.
—Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Feb. 2024
Even with the fundraising and political savvy among the organizers, success is not likely to come easy: Allen has been overwhelmingly reelected twice since winning the seat in 2014.
—Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024
Bitton’s savvy also extends to recognizing a moment’s significance — and paradoxically, sometimes even for what the moment is not.
—Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2023
The Giants were knocked coming into the season for having the oldest roster in baseball, but as their remarkable season unfurled and the veterans flourished, the narrative shifted to admiration for the leadership and savvy the older players provided.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Oct. 2021
But then, that’s Hardy in a nutshell: capable of writing the big hits for radio, obstinate enough to do something completely unexpected, and savvy enough to find the throughline for it all.
—Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2023
Consider the sage and savvy Cruz a $1 million guardrail for Tatis, a $340 million investment.
—Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2023
This wiped out $80 billion in value, whacking some hedge funds and lots of individuals, neither savvy enough to see the bubble.
—Andy Kessler, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2022
Much of that comes from his experience and savvy as a runner, which will only continue to get better with age.
—Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022
Its transformation into a key U.S. hub for semiconductor manufacturing is made possible by natural resources, infrastructure and savvy local leadership, but also by a business-friendly tradition dating back decades.
—Dallas News, 3 July 2022
Our annual guide to savvy gift-giving for discerning readers of all ages, interests and attention spans, selected by The Wall Street Journal’s reviewers.
—Wsj Books Staff, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'savvy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near savvy
Cite this Entry
“Savvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savvy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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savvy
2 of 3 nounsavvy
3 of 3 adjective
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