Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

perspicacious

/ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.70 in modern English

Syllables
per-spi-ca-cious
IPA
/ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/
21
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of acute discernment; having keen insight; mentally perceptive.

adj

Able to physically see clearly; quick-sighted; sharp-sighted.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

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.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/
  • British English: /ˌpɜː.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more perspicacious (comparative) most perspicacious (superlative)

Derived Forms

perspicaciously perspicaciousness unperspicacious

Frequently Paired Words

perspicacity perspicuity perspicuous perspicuously perspicuousness clairvoyant conspicuous perspective

Synonyms

clear-eyed clear-sighted sagacious sapient

Rhymes With

gracious spacious tenacious audacious ignatius herbaceous voracious flirtatious vivacious ostentatious fallacious efficacious

Questions

How do you pronounce perspicacious?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/.
What does perspicacious mean?
Of acute discernment; having keen insight; mentally perceptive.
Where does perspicacious come from?
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.

How to pronounce perspicacious

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “perspicacious”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpɜːɹ.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “perspicacious”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “perspicacious” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.