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
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
-
Gardens of all sizes include water-wise, ornamental and edible plants, natives, succulents, views, chickens, canyons, orchards and more.—
Martina Schimitschek,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Chief among them is the late and especially great Dame Maggie Smith, who gave one of her most powerful and enduring performances as the prim and wise Violet Crawley.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That said, head to the area in late fall, as the surrounding oak and hickory trees put on a brilliant show.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Each clever trap lands with festive flair, proving that Windsor’s women really run the show.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Career conversations ask for calm leadership as the vibrant Sun embraces clever Mercury in your 10th House of Respect, invigorating you with ambitious potential.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An early version of the show was first staged in Seoul in 2015, seven years before the rollout of ChatGPT and the ensuing AI doomsday alarm that platform sparked about the rise of hyper-intelligent robots.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Manta Ray, which is known to be highly intelligent and the largest ray in the ocean, topped a popular vote two years ago to become Florida State College at Jacksonville's new mascot.—
Beth Reese Cravey,
Florida Times-Union,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.—
Will Steakin,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd is a smart mix of stylists, hoteliers, shop owners, restaurateurs, students, tastemakers, and creative directors, alongside the usual magazine editors, museum curators, artists, and gallerists.—
Katherine McGrath,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hilary Duff is still somewhat synonymous with her peachy-keen protagonist on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Mar. 2026
-
As a composer and band leader, Wilkins shines with his soulful delivery, keen attention to detail and his willingness to stretch out in search of creative transcendence.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Some dishes, like the exceptional goat neck dum biryani, which is served in a pot that’s sealed with a thin flatbread, are larger, so check in with your server about the number of items to order.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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Williams’ words in December about Dalman’s exceptional brain, however, were followed by something less prophetic.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The album’s volley of astute re-creations of this idea sometimes gets in the way of Styles’s attempt to relay sadness or dour self-reflection.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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