perspicacity

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˌpɜrspɪˈkæsɪti/ UK /ˌpɜːspɪˈkæsɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
keenness of insight or judgment

The analyst was admired for the perspicacity of his forecasts.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · keenness of insight or... discernment perceptiveness astuteness shrewdness insight acumen acuity sagacity

Opposites

obtuseness dullness stupidity

Word family

Related forms perspicacious perspective conspicuous spectacle

Etymology

From French perspicacite, from Late Latin perspicacitas, from Latin perspicax ('sharp-sighted'), from perspicere ('to see through'), from per- ('through') + specere ('to look').

perspicax Latin specere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# perspicacity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɜrspɪˈkæsɪti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɜːspɪˈkæsɪti/

## Meanings
1. keenness of insight or judgment

## Examples
- The analyst was admired for the perspicacity of his forecasts.

## Synonyms
- discernment
- perceptiveness
- astuteness
- shrewdness
- insight
- acumen
- acuity
- sagacity

## Antonyms
- obtuseness
- dullness
- stupidity

## Related Forms
- perspicacious
- perspective
- conspicuous
- spectacle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perspicax
- Root: specere - to look at

## Etymology
From French perspicacite, from Late Latin perspicacitas, from Latin perspicax ('sharp-sighted'), from perspicere ('to see through'), from per- ('through') + specere ('to look').

## AI Etymology
Perspicacity is from French perspicacite, from Late Latin perspicacitas, from Latin perspicax ('sharp-sighted'), from perspicere ('to see through'), from per- ('through') + specere ('to look'). Important recorded forms include perspicax (Latin) and specere (Latin). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense remains close to that composition, with the parts narrowing into a single lexical item. In current use it covers keenness of insight or judgment. The wider family includes related words such as perspicacious, perspective, conspicuous, and spectacle.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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