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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perspicacious
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
Time-wise, utilizing multiple fields can potentially be more efficient to getting off the field quickly.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Galaxy will be wise not to overwork Reus this season.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Until recently, his only comfort was a large orangutan plush toy that some brilliant member of staff gifted him as a tool for muscle building and maternal replacement.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Fifty years later, Lumet and Chayefsky’s brilliant work of art is neither a satire nor reportage.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
From clever cleaning hacks to quick household fixes, this everyday appliance is a surprisingly helpful and versatile tool for a range of tasks.—
Kate Donovan,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
-
As to the famous fine line between stupid and clever, the stupidity and the cleverness are all but inextricable, and to the point.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Black bears are one of Carr's favorite animals, as their playful antics and uncanny idiosyncrasies reveal an intelligent soul behind beady eyes.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Heldman and Nicholson’s lucid, intelligent script thus assigns characters very different, more nuanced motivations from those we are used to in iterations of this story.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Operations are fully paperless, a NORDAQ filtration system eliminates single-use plastic water bottles, and smart climate control throughout helps curb energy usage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Txhoihf Door Draft Stopper A door draft stopper is a smart home pick that can help lower heating and cooling costs by keeping warmth inside during cold months and the AC inside during summer.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But like other African countries, Zimbabwe is increasingly keen to maximize the value of its minerals by processing them at home before exporting.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Similarly, Survivor 48’s Kamilla Karthigesu was shown to be an enthusiastic operator keen to pull a fast one on her tribemates.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
All-day dining at The Common Room blurs culinary boundaries to curate an exceptional selection of prime cuts, succulent seafood, and specialty dishes, each meticulously prepared and enhanced with local flair.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
It has been loved onto the screen by the ferocious talent of MK, the exceptional executives at HBO and the world-class production team in Wolf Studios Wales, where Bad Wolf has filmed every season.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Later, McCartney goes to the heart of the matter with an astute assessment of a value bred into him in Liverpool, a working-class aversion to being the boss.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In a ruse that, for lack of a more astute reference point here, feels very Don Draper-coded, Rose poses as the dear male soldier who died next to her in battle, figuring why waste the deeds to perfectly decent land, or his name.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
