perspicacity

noun

Definition of perspicacitynext
as in intellect
an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious She had the perspicacity to recognize the underlying problem.

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 perspicacity And our unity with divine Mind endows each of us with the intelligence, spiritual insight, and perspicacity to make sound decisions, including consenting to receiving all the good God has prepared for us. — Karen Neff, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacity
  1. intellect
  2. sensitivity
  3. intelligence
  4. power
  5. sense
  6. acumen
  7. acuity
  8. understanding
Noun
  • His ebullience, keen intellect and warmth jump off the pages.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Recognizing her extraordinary intellect, the Wheatley family educated her, and by age 20 her poetry had earned publication in London.
    — Robin Follman, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
Definition of intellect
Noun
  • In addition to tilt and pressure sensitivity, the Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze and delete functions to the palette, along with a new barrel roll gesture and haptic vibrational feedback.
    — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026
  • As the intuitive Moon enters your 7th House of Partnership, your sensitivity to commitments heightens and clear expectations matter more than charm.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
Definition of sensitivity
Noun
  • Bobbi Queen, a former senior fashion editor at WWD who was known for her intelligence, wit and sense of style, died Thursday at her New York apartment at the age of 84.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
  • Autonomy with human oversight Artificial intelligence handles much of CobraJet’s flight through an autonomous autopilot supported by electro-optical and infrared cameras.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • Junior Caminero has already done some things no Rays players had ever accomplished, such as extending his sizzling power show on Friday to include hitting 10 home runs over a 10-game span.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • Plus, the power port includes three electrical outlets and three USB ports for powering appliances, speakers, and other devices.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • Through Latin and early Christian usage, the word took on its modern sense of an evil supernatural spirit.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The spiritual economy is not necessarily about outright faith, but rather ritual, emotion and a sense of agency.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • Cignetti has tapped into a distinctly Hoosier brand of team pride, which proves that his acumen is just as strong off the football field as on it.
    — Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The guys up at Auburn rave about his intelligence, his football acumen and his work ethic.
    — Creg Stephenson | [email protected], al, 20 Jan. 2023
Definition of acumen
Noun
  • Patients are entering the system with higher-acuity conditions that could have been addressed earlier.
    — Julia Strandberg, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Artificial intelligence attached to camera systems can recognize with acuity the difference between people, animals, cars and anything else that moves.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2026
Definition of acuity
Noun
  • All entries will be evaluated based on creativity, distinctive color or music identity, and an understanding of global music trends.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • Taking a trip out of town, perhaps to another city, state or country, will give you new philosophical meaning and understanding, Scorpio.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of understanding

Browse Nearby Words

perspicacious
perspicacity
perspicuity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perspicacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacity. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All