perspicuity

English

Alternative forms

• perspicuite (obsolete) [15th c.]
• perspicuitie (obsolete) [15th–16th c.]
• perspicuitye (obsolete) [16th c.]
• perspicuyte (obsolete) [from before 1500]
• perspycuitie (obsolete) [from before 1500]

Etymology

From the Classical Latin perspicuitās (“transparency”, “lucidity”, “self-evidency”, (in post-Classical Latin): “penetration”, “insight”), from perspicuus (“clear”, “evident”); compare perspicacity and the French perspicuité. By surface analysis, perspicuous ‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: pər'spĭkyo͞oʹĭti, IPA^(key): /ˌpəːspɪˈkjuːɪti/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) enPR: pər'spəkyo͞oʹədi, IPA^(key): /ˌpɚspəˈkjuəti/

Noun

perspicuity (countable and uncountable, plural perspicuities)

1. Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the state or characteristic of being perspicuous.
   • 1880, [George] Bernard Shaw, chapter XVIII, in The Irrational Knot [...] Being the Second Novel of His Nonage, London: Archibald Constable & Co., published 1905, →OCLC, page 354:

     […] whether through the first officer's want of perspicuity or my own stupidity, I was not a bit the wiser for the explanation.

2. Perspicacity; insight.
   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 51:

     “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.

   • 1965 March 19, “The Stupid Spy”, in Time:

     Thompson, a high school dropout, said with rare perspicuity that he doubted the FBI would hire him.

3. (rare) Transparency; translucence.
   • 1900, Edith Wharton, chapter 11, in The Touchstone:

     It must have been on some such day of harsh sunlight, the incisive February brightness that gives perspicuity without warmth.

Synonyms

• perspicuousness

Related terms

• perspicacious
• perspicaciously
• perspective

References

• “perspicuity” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “perspicuity, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [draft revision; Mar. 2010]
• perspicuity in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
• “perspicuity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “perspicuity”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "perspicuity" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.