as in wise
formal
having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious
She considers herself a perspicacious judge of character. The critic made some perspicacious observations about the film.
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Recent Examples of perspicacious
Instead, this trickster figure proffers the idea that Shakespeare was too perspicacious to be just some white guy.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious
Adjective
-
Note that these and many other pro-worker policies would be wise with or without AI.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Temperature-wise, highs will only reach the mid 60s.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Guests were served canapes including a surprisingly brilliant mango and mung bean tartare plus chicken teriyaki kebabs, all washed down with elegant Hugo Spritz and espresso martinis.—
Partner Content,
Variety,
9 May 2026
-
Co-produced by visionary Spanish helmer El Guincho (of Rosalía and FKA Twigs fame) TURR4ZO is darkly hued and cinematic, infused by dozens of brilliant samples that pay tribute to the richness of Argentina’s music culture.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its hero is Miss Maple, certainly the cleverest sheep in the flock, probably the cleverest sheep in the village of Glennkill, and maybe the cleverest sheep in the world.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
But this is a clever essay about making sense of the ambiguous advice that people love to dispense, from someone who is willing to explain which ones actually proved helpful to his own film journey.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The next is making the grid intelligent enough to absorb that power at scale—flexible, predictive, and reliable.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
An immersive, intelligent debut.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
January 20 – February 18 A smarter routine or work shift could make life feel noticeably lighter today.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 A smarter routine or work shift could make life feel noticeably lighter today.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Elkann, a keen offshore sailor himself, says Hypersail follows in the footsteps of Ferrari’s passion for endurance, drawing inspiration from the Ferrari 499P hypercar, which has won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans three years in a row since the team’s return to endurance racing in 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Mount Carmel’s Christian Clark has a keen sense of what every pitcher is thinking, especially since the senior catcher spends every game connecting and interacting with his own staff.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Yet, Bruccoleri is absolutely exceptional in her role as a young woman determined to find her voice in a world that would so easily push her aside due to her appearance and eclectic curiosities.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Noël Coward’s writing for drunk is exceptional.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
An astute judge of talent, Metheny has hired and nurtured a fair number of outstanding musicians in his bands over the years from far and near.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Tactful and politically astute, Pakula had earlier directed The Parallax View, the Warren Beatty thriller about political assassinations.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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