perspicacious

WOTD - 7 January 2008    

English

Etymology

First attested 1548, from Late Latin perspicācitās (“‘discernment’”), from [[w:Template:lang:la language|Template:lang:la]][[Category:Template:lang:la derivations]] perspicax (“‘sharp-sighted’”), from perspiciō (“‘look through’”), from per- (“‘through’”) + speciō (“‘look at’”). See also perspective.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˌpɜː.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/, SAMPA: /%p3:.spI"keI.S@s/
• (US) enPR: pûr'spĭ·kā'shəs, IPA: /ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -eɪʃəs
• Hyphenation: per‧spi‧ca‧cious

Adjective

perspicacious (comparative {{{1}}}, superlative {{{2}}})

Positive perspicacious

Comparative {{{1}}}

Superlative {{{2}}}

1. (figuratively) Of acute discernment; having keen insight; mentally perceptive.
2. (obsolete) Having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp-sighted.

Derived terms

terms derived from perspicacious

perspicaciously

perspicaciousness

Related terms

terms related to perspicacious

perspicacity perspicuity perspicuous

perspicuously perspicuousness

Translations

showing keen insight

Finnish: tarkkanäköinen fi(fi) Norwegian (bokmål): skarpsindig Norwegian (nynorsk): skarpsindig

Polish: wnikliwy m. Russian: проницательный ru(ru) (pronicát'el'nyj) Spanish: perspicaz es(es) sg., perspicaces es(es) pl.

having the power of seeing clearly

Norwegian (bokmål): klarsynt Norwegian (nynorsk): klarsynt/klårsynt Polish: bystry m.

Russian: зоркий ru(ru) (zórkij) Swedish: klarsynt sv(sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Chinese: 穎悟, 颖悟 (yingwu) Dutch: scherpzinnig French: perspicace fr(fr) German: scharfsinnig Greek: οξυδερκής (oxyderkés) Italian: perspicace sg., perspicaci pl.

Japanese: 明敏 (あきとし, akitoshi; めいびん, meibin) Korean: 이해가 빠른 (ihaega ppareun) Latin: perspicax nominative, perspicacis genitive

See also

• conspicuous
• perspective
• perspicuous

Elsewhere on the web

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