perspicuity 1 of 2

Definition of perspicuitynext

perspicuous

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective perspicuous differ from other similar words?

The words clear and lucid are common synonyms of perspicuous. While all three words mean "quickly and easily understood," perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear.

a perspicuous style

When is clear a more appropriate choice than perspicuous?

While the synonyms clear and perspicuous are close in meaning, clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity.

clear instructions

When might lucid be a better fit than perspicuous?

In some situations, the words lucid and perspicuous are roughly equivalent. However, lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement.

a lucid explanation

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 perspicuity
Adjective
But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity. Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022 Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous. The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020 The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations. Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017 Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker. Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicuity
Noun
  • Our conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
  • Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • The old gunslinger makes the most of an AFC without an obvious favorite and rides off after one last trip into the playoffs, this one coming with a postseason win.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • Neural activation and event consolidation seem too bureaucratic, even obvious.
    Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • The simplicity of LaceLocker® also remains central to its appeal.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 12 May 2026
  • The fresh flip-flop offerings prove that simplicity need not be sacrificed for stylishness, and that all-day comfiness should most certainly not take a back seat to a head-turning summertime aesthetic.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • This connection with Nashville’s past and future gives the patient experience a sense of character, privacy, and unmistakable identity.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • The undercurrent here is unmistakable.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Georgia city’s northwest Buckhead neighborhood has been overrun in the last couple of weeks by empty, driverless ride-share vehicles due to an apparent routing behavior issue.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
  • Their apparent approach will culminate in a spectacular conjunction on June 9, when the two brightest planets in the night sky appear exceptionally close together after sunset.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Adjective
  • While the ramifications are currently most evident in Asia, Neumann said that as manufacturing and consumer sentiment decline, that is likely to spill over into other economies that rely on the region for trade.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
  • That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations — that shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Ahead of this week's PGA Championship, where DeChambeau is among the favorites at Aronimink Golf Club, 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem was asked the simple yet not-so-straightforward question about the Tour's potential need for a DeChambeau return.
    Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
  • Now, that might all sound like just common sense and relatively straightforward to achieve.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • This brief genius window can make strategy clearer, reveal missing pieces, and turn vague ideas into usable next steps.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
  • In West Texas, some locals were hopeful that the exigencies of life in a rural area, where recordkeeping can be rudimentary and property boundaries aren’t always clear, might stymie the project, at least for a little while.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Perspicuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuity. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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