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
-
Reaves finished the night with 15 points on 7-for-14 shooting, a step up efficiency-wise from his return to the court in Game 5 on Wednesday.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
-
Containers dry out much quicker, so keep that in mind when selecting plants and opt for water-wise and drought-resistant varieties, Vater suggests.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through simple text and brilliant animal illustrations reminiscent of Eric Carle’s finest, Caldecott honoree Christian Robinson presents a lovely and nuanced portrait of dads across the animal kingdom, from lions to seahorses to humans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
As the rodeo-ropin’ wife to Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist, Hathaway landed her first blush with a world-class filmmaker but a fraction of the notices that her equally brilliant peers Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, and Gyllenhaal received.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps clever legal strategies might find ways to meet the justices’ new standards, or perhaps experts might come up with new metrics to mathematically prove discrimination, even when intent is vague.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Niko Medved is very smart, very clever at using that zone.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cold, calculating and highly intelligent, Dedra saw the rebellion coming when none of her other peers did.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
-
Here, intelligent driving features are ubiquitous, even in affordable models.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Semi-custom is, of course, cheaper and quicker to build than full bespoke, making a smart, low-stress entry point into yacht ownership.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
-
Niko Medved is very smart, very clever at using that zone.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
With tricky remaining fixtures, that 38 per cent probability could very easily increase by next week, but Nuno’s side will be keen to keep their destiny in their own hands for as long as possible.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In London, other performance brands went to lengths to emphasize that their products aren’t just for runners and athletes, but for anyone keen to move and support those involved.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Flyers' 1-0 Game 6 overtime victory over the Penguins on Wednesday night served as early validation that general manager Danny Briere was astute in orchestrating an overdue rebuild and the payoff was a first playoff series win in a full NHL season since 2012.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Michelle is floating through life until a surprising connection with a high schooler challenges her friendship with her overbearing best friend, in this bitingly astute and exceptionally hilarious satire.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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