sagacity
gb/sˈæɡəsɪti/ us/sˈæɡəsɪti/
C1
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
property
1
keen practical wisdom and judgment
The quality of being very wise and good at understanding things and making the right decisions, especially in real-life situations.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s sagacity in [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "sagacity" with the adjective "sagacious." Use "sagacity" as a noun (e.g., "her sagacity impressed us") and "sagacious" as an adjective (e.g., "a sagacious leader"). Another mistake is to think it means "sad" or "saggy" because of the sound; in fact, it only refers to wise and sharp judgment.
Synonyms
wisdom (Broader and more common; can refer to life knowledge in general, not only sharp judgment.)
|
shrewdness (Adds a stronger sense of clever, sometimes hard-headed practicality; can sound less noble than sagacity.)
|
acumen (Often used for sharpness in a specific area, such as business or social situations, rather than general judgment.)
Antonyms
foolishness (Lack of good sense or judgment; the direct opposite quality.)
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naivety (Too much innocence or inexperience, leading to poor judgment or easy trust.)
Collocations
remarkable sagacity
|political sagacity
|business sagacity
|display sagacity
|show great sagacity
|admire [someone]'s sagacity
Themes
intellect
|character
|decision-making
|core_vocabulary
|education
Examples
- Her financial sagacity saved the company from collapse during the crisis.
- The mayor’s political sagacity was clear in the way he built quiet alliances before the vote.
- Historians still admire Lincoln’s sagacity in balancing firm principle with careful diplomacy.
- Investors were drawn to the founder’s sagacity in reading market trends early.
- With characteristic sagacity, she asked the one question that exposed the flaw in their plan.
Learner examples
- The CEO’s sagacity helped the small company grow very quickly.
- People trusted the judge’s sagacity when he made difficult decisions.
- My grandfather is known for his sagacity and calm advice.
- Because of her sagacity, she avoided a very bad deal.
- They showed great sagacity in choosing the right time to expand the business.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sagacity
IPA
GB/sˈæɡəsɪti/
US/sˈæɡəsɪti/
Syllables & stress
saga - city (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (saga)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sagacity
- Plural: sagacity
Word family
Core family
sagacious
adjective
sagaciously
adverb
Related words
sage
noun B1
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.