incisive
adjective
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An incisive person doesn’t hem and haw—they get straight to the point. The original meaning of incisive, from around 1600, was "having a cutting edge or piercing point"; the modern meaning of "impressively direct and decisive" has been part of English since the mid-1800s. Incisive is a close relative of incisor, which refers to a front tooth typically adapted for cutting, so it's no surprise that incisive has a specific meaning in dentistry, describing that which is of, relating to, or situated near the incisors. Both incisive and incisor come from the Latin verb caedere, meaning "to cut." English is rich in cuttings from the fruitful stem of caedere: some examples to sink your teeth into are scissors, chisel, incise ("to cut into or engrave"), excise ("to remove by cutting"), incision ("cut" or "gash"), precise ("minutely exact"), and concise ("brief").
Examples of incisive in a Sentence
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Toklomati doubled the lead in the 47th minute when Inter Miami’s defense was carved open with incisive passing.
—Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
No incisive overhaul of Moss’ methods.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Produced by the Dominican Republic’s Lantica Studios, the debut feature of writer-director Humberto Tavárez is an incisive yet heartfelt portrait of a Dominican family caught in the grip of generational conflict.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incisive
Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incisive. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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incisive
adjective
Medical Definition
incisive
adjective
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