sagacious

/səˈɡeɪʃəs/ · suh-GAY-shusadjective

Showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

Use sagacious to express this relationship precisely: showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

What sagacious Really Means

The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.

1

Core quality

Showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

Example

Her sagacious advice prevented the group from making a costly error.

2

Attributive or predicative use

Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.

Example

The sagacious leader prepared for risks others had ignored.

3

Analytical distinction

Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.

Example

His sagacious assessment distinguished temporary enthusiasm from lasting demand.

Use sagacious Naturally

Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.

Her sagacious advice prevented the group from making a costly error.

The sagacious leader prepared for risks others had ignored.

His sagacious assessment distinguished temporary enthusiasm from lasting demand.

Precision Matters

Sagacious overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.

sagacious

Means showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

vs.
prescient

Means showing accurate knowledge of events before they happen.

sagacious

Means showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

vs.
pragmatic

Means dealing with problems sensibly and realistically.

sagacious

Means showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

vs.
profound

Means deep, insightful, or intense.

sagacious

Means showing sound judgment, practical wisdom, and insight.

vs.
credulous

Means too ready to believe claims and therefore easily deceived.

Test sagacious in Context

The director displayed wise, farsighted, and sound judgment.

1

By preserving cash during the boom, the ___ director ensured that the organisation survived the later downturn.

Prepared byFirst Academy
Editorial responsibilityFirst Academy Academic Team
Updated3 August 2026
Selection and reviewRead our methodology