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
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
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
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There are many layers that get peeled back in this wise film.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
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That won’t be the case every week, but Diggs looks up to speed — healthy and chemistry-wise — which puts him in the WR3/4 conversation and gives that Boutte the boot.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a small flaw in an otherwise brilliant piece of artistic storytelling, one that stays with players even after the credits roll.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Taylor, 50, told New Beauty magazine after the show that protective technology in clothing is a brilliant idea.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From the cool, dank blue-gray tones of Maria’s basement to the clever signage that adorns the schoolroom walls, the production mechanics work to pull viewers further into this high stakes character study.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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Adding a daybed in gingham, especially one done up in the coastal blue Perennials upholstery that winks at Dorothy’s iconic dress, is a clever way to play up the timeless print when brainstorming a new bedroom furniture layout.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Millions grew up less intelligent, more violent, poorer, and more likely to die from heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.—
Tom Frieden,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
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But there were circumstances that could allow the highly intelligent Leland to have a better life.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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In addition, businesses need to be smart about setting goals for AI.—
Bob Violino,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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All in all, Pantzer's keen eye and relationships netted him 38 of the artist's watercolors, 3,000 engravings and seven life portraits, according to Newfields' collection overview.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
26 Sep. 2025
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Francis was said to have been keen to personally wish them a happy anniversary.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The award is given to establishments that receive a high volume of exceptional reviews and ratings from the TripAdvisor community over a 12-month period.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
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Despite its exceptional hardness approaching that of diamond, boron remains too brittle for direct use in tools or structural applications.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The odd, sometimes astute connections and ideas her seemingly new brain forms are not entirely unpleasant.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
25 Sep. 2025
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The other, more astute comparison might be to another game Kojima co-produced with legendary horror director Guillermo del Toro.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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