sagacious
- Having or showing keen mental discernment and good practical judgment; shrewd and wise.
In a sentence
- The sagacious investor recognized the market downturn months before her colleagues did.
- His sagacious counsel steered the company away from several costly legal disputes.
Usage note. Sagacious is formal in register; in everyday speech 'shrewd' or 'wise' are more natural, while 'sagacious' suits written or literary contexts.
Where it comes from
English sagacious · entered English early 17th c.
From Latin 'sagax' (genitive 'sagacis'), meaning 'of quick perception, keen,' related to 'sagire,' meaning 'to perceive keenly.' The Latin root may connect to 'sagio,' meaning 'to smell out.' The word entered English in the early 17th century.