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.

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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 The financial manipulations that undergirded their fortunes get scrutinized as theft from the public purse, praise for their courage and perspicacity yields to condemnation for their conduct. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 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. astuteness
  6. sense
  7. acumen
  8. acuity
Noun
  • Fundamentalists will claim that the moral code that follows from their faith needs no intellect to follow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That far down the line, the brand should still represent creativity, beauty, culture, intellect and craftsmanship.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of intellect
Noun
  • Goldman Sachs has little direct sensitivity to higher interest rates.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Children have a higher sensitivity to not just mold spores but also indoor dampness.
    — Rebecca Smullin Dawson, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitivity
Noun
  • War Secretary Pete Hegseth is mobilizing the Pentagon’s cybersecurity and intelligence resources to protect against foreign interference in the 2026 midterm elections.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The State Department’s annual declassified intelligence report has repeatedly concluded that Russia and North Korea have offensive biological weapons programs, while raising concerns about China and Iran.
    — Ashish K. Jha, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • Just ask the Taliban, now back in charge in Afghanistan after being driven from power.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That’s not to mention what could be a massively consequential midterm election, fueled by AI anxiety among voters, that could test the bounds of their power.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • The attack was a move that the usually hesitant Mas had never previously attempted, let alone pulled off, while the successful deployment of a satellite rider demonstrated tactical astuteness that the team have often been accused of lacking.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of astuteness
Noun
  • Iran makes another push before heading home In a sign of Tehran’s apparent sense of urgency, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar, the mediator in the indirect talks, early Friday before much of New York rolled out of bed.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • In a sign of Tehran’s apparent sense of urgency, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar, the mediator in the indirect talks, early Friday before much of New York rolled out of bed.
    — Cara Anna, Fortune, 26 Sep. 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
  • In the past, the United States and China achieved breakthroughs when conditions were just right and leaders with great diplomatic acuity were in charge.
    — Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That’s evident in both her mental acuity as well as her physical agility, demonstrated by her ease in climbing several flights of stairs to enter her spacious apartment.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of acuity

Browse Nearby Words

perspicacious
perspicacity
perspicuity
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Cite this Entry

“Perspicacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacity. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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