as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
believing that poetry need not be as perspicuous as prose, he writes poems that are intentionally ambiguous
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Recent Examples of perspicuous
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
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 perspicuous
Adjective
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Lionsgate post-Starz spin-off would be the most obvious choice, without the weight of cable networks on both sides and with a host of still-viable Lionsgate franchises including John Wick, The Hunger Games and Saw.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The gravity of the moment was unmistakable — the consequences of a loss, and the eventual magnitude of a win.—
Anthony De Leon,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
-
In a market defined by uncertainty, the bond market’s message is unmistakable: brace for impact.—
Dan Irvine,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Ukraine goes into this second round of direct talks bolstered by its apparent destruction of Russian strategic bombers and other crucial air assets.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
-
Wolff did admit that seeing the positives were difficult, aside from the apparent step in tire management.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Their more straightforward approach is closer to documentary drama, but the effect is not so disparate.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
-
All that aside, even without the system transfer, using my Switch 2 has been smooth and straightforward.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, King’s status as a last-minute guest was evident in her clothes, the journalist's green sweatsuit standing out among the black-tie attire.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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Koenig noted in her report that the Emergency Department at Waterbury Hospital was crowded and the need for expansion as planned was evident.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Taxpayers and their representatives often have no clear way to know when the two-year period begins.—
Sakinah Tillman,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2025
-
The alliance contends that the city already is failing to meet the milestones of the agreement and has no clear path to that goal.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
There is a distinct difference between the two eras.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Within such simulations, there will be three distinct participant groups: 1.—
Ivan Shvaichenko,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuous. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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