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
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
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
More perspicacious than angry invective alone, that alchemy of tones has been her signature since the early ’90s, when a 20-something Hanna fronted Bikini Kill, the punk band that became the most visible act associated with the third-wave feminist movement known as riot grrrl.
—TIME, 7 May 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
This particular Ferrari F50 was delivered new, in 1996, to Étienne Léandri, a defense lawyer and perspicacious Ferrari collector from Monaco.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2022
IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
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
More perspicacious than angry invective alone, that alchemy of tones has been her signature since the early ’90s, when a 20-something Hanna fronted Bikini Kill, the punk band that became the most visible act associated with the third-wave feminist movement known as riot grrrl.
—TIME, 7 May 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
This particular Ferrari F50 was delivered new, in 1996, to Étienne Léandri, a defense lawyer and perspicacious Ferrari collector from Monaco.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious
Adjective
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Considering Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and T.J. Watt are all in line for new deals soon, getting something done with Hutchinson sooner rather than later would be wise.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Which is wiser: Spending money on more firefighting resources after wildfires break out and absorbing the extraordinary cost of damages, or investing in technologies and training to prevent wildfires from happening in the first place?—
Abhishek Singh,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The brilliant fruits of tessellated talents at opposite sides of the world.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
The Emerald Coast beaches have fine quartz crystal sand and brilliant green waters, which give the coastline its eponymous name.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
The argument that Trump has violated the 10th Amendment is a clever subversion of a line of thinking that has traditionally been backed by conservative judges, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Barenaked Ladies, Sugar Ray and Fastball Three lively, strident bands known for clever lyrics and fun banter relive the 1990s for you on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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In 1950 the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi was discussing the possibility of intelligent alien life with his colleagues.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
-
Second, a human must be kept in the loop of intelligent machine decision-making processes.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, waving the flag of a foreign country isn’t prideful, or politically smart in the least.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
With the longer battery life, lighter design and smart safety features, this jetpack is definitely for anyone looking to make their underwater adventures more exciting.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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According to insiders, Ahuja still believes in Rothman and wasn’t keen on a big shake-up, not when the studio has momentum, is profitable and is about to undertake the ambitious and risky move of releasing all four of Sam Mendes’ Beatles films in April 2028.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
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If her body isn’t always willing, her mind and her heart are still keen on the sport, so Press makes her most valuable contributions now in the quiet of the locker room.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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All of our leathers are carefully selected from the finest tanneries in the world for their exceptional quality and functional capability.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
The site is exceptional: The North Branch of the Chicago River winds through its full length, offering an opportunity to weave parkland through the development.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
The people that farm or garden are very interesting, very resourceful, very astute.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
1 June 2025
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Patti LuPone, fresh off the set of And Just Like That…, has caused an internet kerfuffle with her astute (and deliciously eloquent) jabs at costars, former lovers, theatergoers, and even Times Square pedestrians in her recent profile in The New Yorker.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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