acumen

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2024 is:

acumen • \AK-yoo-mun\ • noun

Acumen refers to keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination—in other words, the ability to think clearly and make good decisions, especially in practical matters.

// The fictional detective possesses a superior acumen that enables her to solve the most bizarre and puzzling of mysteries.

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Examples:

"Industrial agriculture’s hidden costs are precisely the ones agroecology makes explicit. Its pathways reward the acumen of those on the front lines, support the livelihoods of the poor and protect the biodiversity of the planet." — Raj Patel, Scientific American, 22 Sept. 2021

Did you know?

A keen mind and a sharp wit can pierce confusion as easily as a needle passes through cloth. Remember this analogy between a jabbing needle and piercing perception, and you will readily recall the history of acumen. The English word retains the spelling and figurative meaning of its direct Latin ancestor acūmen, which literally means "sharp point." That word comes in turn from the Latin acuere, a verb meaning "to sharpen" that is related to acus, the Latin word for "needle." Acuere puts the acu- (gesundheit!) in a number of English words, including acute, acuity, and acuminate. In its earliest English uses, acumen referred specifically to a sharpness of wit. In modern English, it conveys the sense that someone is perceptive enough to grasp a situation quickly and clever enough to deftly apply that insight.