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
-
No shade, but the trailers for ‘The Odyssey’ don’t look very promising to me, just aesthetic wise.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
-
If guilt pops up around spending, remember compassion guides wise choices.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ryan Gosling stars as neurotic and brilliant schoolteacher Ryland Grace, who is recruited by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) to help solve why the sun is dimming.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Muriel Fox was an insider who knew all of the players, and her candid descriptions of the events and personalities that made history (yes, Betty Friedan was a monster, but a brilliant one) makes for a dramatic story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, researchers in Germany have found a clever solution that involves turning Martian-like dust and hardy microbes into a working fertilizer system that can produce edible plants.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Dozens of listeners emailed us with their cleverest, tried-and-true methods.—
Mika Ellison,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And was obviously very talented and very intelligent to do so serious and self-critical work, which was really a breakthrough in this field.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Also this week, Blank Street is opening bigger stores, Chipotle has a shockingly intelligent chat bot on its website, and more.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The town is now actively monitoring water use, using smart meters in some cases and on-the-ground enforcement in others.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
And logging the vast majority of those runs at a slow pace is a smarter, safer way to achieve that.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Activities and dining options are taken into consideration by concierge staff keen to point visitors in the direction of the best spots for yakitori or souvenir hunting nearby.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Brinson and Gomez have a keen sense of narrative and comic timing and a playful rapport.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exceptional craft, artistry and innovation behind these titles shines through.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The Career Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose exceptional body of work and creative contributions have made a significant impact on media and culture.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cecilia, or, Memoirs of an Heiress brims with irony, withering dialogue, psychosocial revelation and astute moral inquiry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
George was a highly influential, politically astute prelate who died almost a decade before Leo XIV’s election.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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