as in wise
formal
having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious
She considers herself a perspicacious judge of character. The critic made some perspicacious observations about the film.
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Recent Examples of perspicacious
Instead, this trickster figure proffers the idea that Shakespeare was too perspicacious to be just some white guy.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024
One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971.
—Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
As played by the perspicacious young performer Aoife Riddell, Phoebe is perhaps the realest part of the whole picture, a sweet and desperate and boy-crazy kid bouncing with eagerness and nerves.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Forty-five years have passed since the late Professor Price coined his perspicacious term.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious
Adjective
-
Policymakers, especially here in Tokyo, would be wise to accept more foreign workers to plug labor gaps, but that’s not a durable answer on its own.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Steinberg believes the fit will work out well football wise and business wise.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Oscar Verhoeven delivered a brilliant slide tackle on Portland’s Kevin Kelsy near the Timbers goal.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While visiting the naval base in Portsmouth in December 2017 for the commissioning ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the late monarch stood out in a brilliant purple outfit.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Make working from home more enjoyable with a clever USB desk fan ($8) and soothing essential oil diffuser ($7).—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Through it all, the cats remain the center of her world — unpredictable, clever and endlessly entertaining.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The son of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, he is viewed as a physical and intelligent defender.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our interface makes intelligent use of swipes and gestures rather than tapping or dialing.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
August 23 – September 22 A smart adjustment today creates more momentum than effort.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This white chocolate bar is creamy and ultra-sweet, and the great minds at TJ’s were smart to distract from the one-note flavor with crunchy little cookie crumbles.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With tricky remaining fixtures, that 38 per cent probability could very easily increase by next week, but Nuno’s side will be keen to keep their destiny in their own hands for as long as possible.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In London, other performance brands went to lengths to emphasize that their products aren’t just for runners and athletes, but for anyone keen to move and support those involved.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Michelle is floating through life until a surprising connection with a high schooler challenges her friendship with her overbearing best friend, in this bitingly astute and exceptionally hilarious satire.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This was, of course, an astute political strategy.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicacious. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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