Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted. synonym: shrewd.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Quick-sighted; sharp of sight.
  • Of acute discernment.
  • Synonyms Acute, shrewd, clear-sighted, sharp-witted. See astute.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp of sight.
  • adjective Fig.: Of acute discernment; keen.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective figuratively Of acute discernment; having keen insight; mentally perceptive.
  • adjective obsolete Able to physically see clearly; quick-sighted; sharp-sighted.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective acutely insightful and wise
  • adjective mentally acute or penetratingly discerning

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin perspicāx, perspicāc-, from perspicere, to look through; see perspective.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested 1548, from Late Latin perspicācitās ("discernment"), from Latin perspicax ("sharp-sighted"), from perspiciō ("look through"), from per- ("through") + speciō ("look at"). See also perspective.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word perspicacious.

Examples

  • Regardless of the fact that you don't know what the word perspicacious means, you continue to amaze me.

    Yahoo! Sports - Top News 2009

  • Regardless of the fact that you don't know what the word perspicacious means, you continue to amaze me.

    Yahoo! Sports - Top News 2009

  • Martin also squeezes the word "perspicacious" into his first paragraph, and drops the dime "pleonastic" later on.

    NYT A1: Sesquipedalian!!!! - Swampland - TIME.com 2008

  • Anyone who proselytises on behalf of the enemy in a time of war can hardly be described as 'perspicacious' regardless of their race or religion (or lack thereof).

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009

  • I ain't got much on them elocution skillz, but I gots it on the spellin' front: "perspicacious" ;

    Barbequed Shrimp 2007

  • Apparently my perspective is 'perspicacious'. pftp wrote: I don't have heated rhetoric, nor am I necessarily denying AGW, I have a deep distrust of people from your side of the coin.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local johngalt1 2010

  • Apparently my perspective is 'perspicacious'. pftp wrote: I don't have heated rhetoric, nor am I necessarily denying AGW, I have a deep distrust of people from your side of the coin.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local pftp 2010

  • Apparently my perspective is 'perspicacious'. pftp wrote: I don't have heated rhetoric, nor am I necessarily denying AGW, I have a deep distrust of people from your side of the coin.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local pftp 2010

  • Apparently my perspective is 'perspicacious'. pftp wrote: I don't have heated rhetoric, nor am I necessarily denying AGW, I have a deep distrust of people from your side of the coin.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local grandpaw 2010

  • Apparently my perspective is 'perspicacious'. pftp wrote: I don't have heated rhetoric, nor am I necessarily denying AGW, I have a deep distrust of people from your side of the coin.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local johngalt1 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • The Simpsons (episode 2F19)

    Lisa: Relax? I can't relax! Nor can I yield, relent, or -- Only two synonyms? Oh my God: I'm losing my perspicacity!

    Homer: Well, it's always in the last place you look.

    January 20, 2007

  • "I pop with perspicacity..." --Wilbur, "Charlotte's Web"

    October 21, 2007

  • Such a beautiful word - in all its forms!

    October 22, 2007

  • Do perspicacious and perspiration have the same root?

    November 14, 2008

  • I had to sound out PERSPICACIOUS like 6 times before i gave up & looked it up. Because neither my grandma or i knew how to pronounce it, nor did we know what it meant. But it certainly did look like an interesting word & downright HARD to pronounce if you dont know it already-PERSPICACIOUS!!! Pretty Cool!!! I LUV THIS WORD! Its in my favs now!!

    November 28, 2012