as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
believing that poetry need not be as perspicuous as prose, he writes poems that are intentionally ambiguous
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Recent Examples of perspicuous
But where Hofstadter is playfully enigmatic and brashly brainy, Chalmers’s writing is perspicuous and teacherly — an approach that keeps it from collapsing into recalcitrant obscurity.
—
Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations.
—Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017
Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker.
—Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Conditions in the state the planes left behind them were far less perspicuous.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
The president began his Monday by scrutinizing his national security briefing, filling its margins with perspicuous questions and observations.
—Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 10 July 2017
Unspoken but perspicuous is the wish to (at worst) score points off Democrats and (at best) free up a seat on the nation’s most important appeals court for a nominee from the Federalist Society weapons locker.
—Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 12 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicuous
Adjective
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After Son left in the summer to join MLS side Los Angeles FC, there was no obvious alternative apart from Guglielmo Vicario.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
If the main subject isn’t obvious across most frames, the video often won’t show up in search.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Those distinctive features give the species a look that is at once gentle and unmistakable — a face that, for the wildlife community, has become a symbol of how close a species can come to vanishing entirely and still find a path back.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Police vans behind a temporary metal fence secured the road to the athletes’ village, but the protesters veered away, continuing their apparent route toward the Santagiulia venue.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Guthrie siblings post back-to-back videos addressed to captors The urgency to find Guthrie was apparent in an emotional plea posted in two videos released one day apart.—
Sarah Lapidus,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The shift away from historically high-paying, white-collar jobs is already evident in the choices Gen Z is making.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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That should be evident for the next six weeks around the Charlotte Sports Complex, as pitchers and catchers — many of whom have already been there working out — formally report Wednesday and take the field for the first official session Thursday morning.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The math was straightforward; get rid of Perardi, pay off the debt.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
If so, keep it straightforward with east-facing for sunrise and west-facing for sunsets.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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McDonald said a clear motive was not identified, nor was a specific target.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Earlier this week, after lawmakers said the names of several high-profile figures had been concealed in the documents without clear legal reasons, the department also moved to un-redact more than a dozen additional names.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Across the experiments, the sensor network was consistently effective at producing distinct signal patterns and activating protective responses depending on the force applied.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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The cake is made of three distinct layers of chocolate.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuous. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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