perspicuous
1
7.9
- adjective
- /ˌpɜrˈspɪk.ju.əs/
- Formal
:
perspicuo
- His writing was full of the highfalutin distinctions and tortuous formulations which, decades ago, turned me off academic life, but it was also perspicuous, sensuous, pleasantly perverse, and surprising; he was a writer.
- more perspicuous
Examples
-
While it may be that the occupation did not introduce a dramatic change in methods of mise-en-scène, cinematography, and shot duration, changes in sound accompaniment allowed the results of such methods to become perspicuous in new ways.
Academic text (1998) -
An extensive science in a single book, and the most profound ideas expressed in the most perspicuous language.
Academic text (1992) -
All of the characters fail at some time or another to understand even the clearest, even the most perspicuous language.
-
Here, Descartes was more perspicuous.
Academic text (1998) -
My proposal of a criminal anti-terrorism statute addresses perspicuous terrorist uses of the internet.
Academic text (2017) -
He defines truth in terms of satisfaction, but satisfaction is hardly a more perspicuous concept.
Blog text (2) -
I will simply add that I have taken the information available in current translations and commentaries on Bakhtin's writings at face value, trying merely to set it all into some reasonably perspicuous order.
Academic text (1993) -
That’s very perspicuous insight.
-
The teacher provided a perspicuous explanation that made the complex topic easy to understand.
-
Her perspicuous writing style helped the readers grasp even the most complicated concepts.
Synonyms
43
2.5
Very easy to understand or hear
43
3.5
Very obvious and easy to see or understand
9
4.5
Clear and easy to understand language
1
6.4
Clear and easy to understand, especially in writing or speech
Clear and easy to understand language that leaves little room for confusion
Clear and easy to understand speech or writing
Antonyms
How Clear
Surface Forms
Morphology
perspicuous = perspicu + ous
The lexical core 'perspicu-' is a learned Latin combining form not recognizable as a standalone English word, so learners cannot readily derive the adjective's meaning despite the familiar suffix '-ous'.
Etymology
Perspicuous comes from Latin parts per- 'through' and spec 'to see', the same root you find in inspect and spectator. So it meant 'seen through', and now a perspicuous sentence is 'clear' and easy to understand.