Word of the Day

: July 18, 2016

astute

adjective uh-STOOT

What It Means

1 : having or showing shrewdness and perspicacity

2 : crafty, wily

astute in Context

The candidate made a number of astute observations about both foreign and domestic policy during the debate.

"Sure, he was funny, but George Carlin was also an astute observer of the way humans think and behave." — Keith Magill, The Shawnee (Oklahoma) News-Star, 12 June 2016

Did You Know?

Astute is similar in meaning to shrewd and sagacious, but there are subtle differences in connotation among them. All three suggest sharp thinking and sound judgment, but shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment ("a shrewd judge of character"), whereas sagacious implies wisdom and foresight combined with good judgment ("sagacious investors"). Astute, which derives from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft," suggests cleverness, mental sharpness, and diplomatic skill ("an astute player of party politics").