sagacious

adjective

sa·ga·cious sə-ˈgā-shəs

si-

Synonyms of sagacious

: of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment : discerning

sagacious judge of character

: caused by or indicating acute discernment

sagacious purchase of stock

obsolete : keen in sense perception

sagaciously adverb

sagaciousness noun

Did you know?

The Surprising Root of Sagacious

You might expect the root of sagacious to be sage, which, as an adjective, means "wise" or, as a noun, "a wise person." Despite similarities of spelling, sound, and sense, the two words are not closely related. Sagacious comes from sagire, a Latin verb meaning "to perceive keenly." Etymologists believe that sage comes from a different Latin verb, sapere, which means "to taste," "to have good taste," or "to be wise."

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Hidden Meaning of Sagacious

Sagacious entered the English language around the beginning of the 17th century and, for some decades, referred to perceptiveness of sight, taste, and especially, smell. One of the first authors to use the word, Edward Topsell, wrote in 1607 of bees searching for something with “a most sagacious smelling-sence.” Sagacious has largely lost the sense (no pun intended) of being keen in sensory perception, and now almost exclusively means "of keen judgment, discerning.” The upshot is that English has words for the state of possessing acute vision (such as far-sighted) and a fine sense of touch (such as sensitive), but lacks any adjectives describing an excellent sense of smell.

Choose the Right Synonym for sagacious

shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment.

shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

Examples of sagacious in a Sentence

… the winner is praised for his sagacious grasp of the hopes and anxieties of the public, the loser is excoriated for the many and obvious blunders that derailed his candidacy … —Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2000

It has allowed him to pre-empt conservative political attacks, to appear sagacious despite his inexperience … —Alan Tonelson, Atlantic, June 1993

With commendably sagacious foresight, I sneaked spoils as well to the elders of key Judean cities whose good will I was cultivating for the future … —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984

It has been suggested that we go to sleep at night because it is then too dark to do anything else; but owls, who are a venerably sagacious folk, do not sleep in the night-time. —James Stephens, The Crock of Gold, 1912

a sagacious critique of the current social climate in our nation

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Morris Chestnut Logline: As the fate of the earth hangs perilously in the balance, Bandi a sagacious elder embarks on a crucial mission to locate Tep one of the few legitimate descendants of an ancient extraterrestrial power, tracing back to a small tribe in Africa. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2024 Foster a balanced approach: While data can provide valuable insights at scale, integrating human judgment and industry expertise ensures a sagacious, well-rounded, and likely more ethical strategic investment approach. —Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024