Standard Lemma guide

perspicuity

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: pər'spĭkyo͞oʹĭti
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌpəːspɪˈkjuːɪti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: pər'spəkyo͞oʹədi
  • US: /ˌpɚspəˈkjuəti/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the state or characteristic of being perspicuous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Perspicacity; insight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Transparency; translucence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, rare, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

clarity as a consequence of being perspicuous

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perspicuousness, plainness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clarity, lucidity, lucidness, pellucidity, clearness, limpidity

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin perspicuitās (“evidentness”, “self-evidency”, literally “transparency”, “clarity”, “lucidity”), from Latin perspicuus (“clear”, “transparent”; “evident”); compare perspicacity and the French perspicuité. By surface analysis, perspicuous + -ity.