trenchant
adjective
Did you know?
There’s much to know about the word trenchant, but we’ll cut to the chase. The word trenchant comes from the Anglo-French verb trencher, meaning “to cut.” Hence, a trenchant sword is one with a keen edge. Nowadays, trenchant mostly describes things that don’t cut deep literally, but that are still felt: a trenchant remark is one that cuts close to the bone, and a trenchant observation is one that cuts to the heart of the matter. In addition to meaning “caustic” and “sharply perceptive,” trenchant also carries a sense meaning “very strong, clear, and effective” that may be used, for instance, to describe a persuasive essay written with intellectual rigor. If you find yourself forgetting these “edgy” definitions, you might dig up a familiar relative of trenchant: the noun trench, which refers to a long cut or ditch in the ground.
Examples of trenchant in a Sentence
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 June 2025
To wit: her eloquent and trenchant dissent in the nine-member court’s decision on Friday.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
There’s a buddy comedy element to Godard’s at times tempestuous relationship with his producer that makes for some of this film’s most trenchant inquiries into the filmmaking mindset.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Reassembling the excellent cast from the low-profile 2023 premiere in Los Angeles, Mamet reels us in with some of his most trenchant writing in years.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trenchant
Cite this Entry
“Trenchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trenchant. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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trenchant
adjective
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