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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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
Karen Neff, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacity
Noun
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Ball will play the middle son, Cary, who inherited his mom’s razor-sharp wit and intellect.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
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Regardless of their work ethic, intellect and creativity, capital has always exploited them but never been willing to partner with them.—
Jacob Walthour,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Using artificial intelligence to scan more than 400,000 Reddit posts, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania documented numerous reports of possible GLP-1 side effects that may be underrecognized in clinical trials — including menstrual changes, fatigue, and temperature sensitivities.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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While the subject matter is bleak, Almodóvar balances the darkness with a tenderness and sensitivity that comes from a career of exploring women's lives at their most intimate.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In theory, that’s what Slot wants his side to do, but in practice this season, due to personnel, fitness and at times structure, the Liverpool high press has lacked the intensity, aggression and intelligence of previous years.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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By Saturday, the Pentagon had surged more than 150 aircraft to join the effort to rescue the weapons system officer, Dude 44B, including 64 fighter jets, four bombers, 48 refuelers, 13 rescue planes and 26 intelligence and jamming aircraft, sources told CBS News.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The power of an orator who can, in this way, fuse feeling and doctrine is immense.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The American president's agenda has striking parallels with the way the Hungarian leader used the levers of government to tilt the media, judiciary and electoral system to keep his party in power for 16 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The story is something of a palimpsest, with Romvari’s own perspective intertwining with the character’s and conveying a sense of being both inside and outside the action.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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What’s left is a false sense of urgency that will lead to a budget finalized mostly in the dark, with too many decisions made by staffers and lobbyists.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The guys up at Auburn rave about his intelligence, his football acumen and his work ethic.—
Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com,
al,
20 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Those state caseworkers can be called upon to determine whether an elder has the mental acuity to agree to be moved from their home to an unfamiliar place.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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What is emerging is a picture of an artist of profound mathematical acuity, who mobilized geometric, sequential, and modular forms to test hypotheses on interrelation, regeneration, and evolution in pursuit of mystical revelation.—
Katherine Rochester,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Partway through the story, the reader learns something that upends our understanding of what’s going on.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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It’s based on the scientific understanding that all kinds of organisms — including plants, insects and disease fungi or bacteria — respond to the weather.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacity. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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