Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective perspicuous differ from other similar words?

The words clear and lucid are common synonyms of perspicuous. While all three words mean "quickly and easily understood," perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear.

a perspicuous style

When is clear a more appropriate choice than perspicuous?

While the synonyms clear and perspicuous are close in meaning, clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity.

clear instructions

When might lucid be a better fit than perspicuous?

In some situations, the words lucid and perspicuous are roughly equivalent. However, lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement.

a lucid explanation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicuous
Adjective
  • And then there are the descriptions of the additional terms, which may not be obvious.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • But a sharp turn straight into country seems like far too obvious a path for a singer-songwriter who has quietly done her own thing.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • The public display hit televisions and phone screens across the country and was an unmistakable signal that the Trump administration was not done flexing its political muscle in California.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2025
  • Dignity Through Every Stage Of Life The shift in conversation is unmistakable.
    Karen Fonseth, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • In apparent disbelief, Berger simply sank to her knees, her arms outstretched and a huge grin on her face, and watched as her jubilant teammates sprinted towards her to celebrate.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
  • Netflix has a new #1 show, Untamed, a series about a federal agent investigating an apparent murder in Yosemite National Park.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • The talent is evident, yet the three aim to stay humble.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2025
  • That blend of tradition and innovation is evident in both the menu and the experience.
    Chelsea Davis, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Usually, first-round contracts are straightforward, with terms outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 24 July 2025
  • Watching the Dragon Ball franchise in release order is fairly straightforward.
    Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • But his bet is clear: That in a fractured media world, personality, tone, and trust matter more than legacy or even scale.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
  • Now it's become clear that electric vehicles won’t take over as quickly as expected.
    Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Consider Stapleton International Airport’s reincarnation as Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, or suburban Chicago’s Glenview Naval Air Station’s rebirth as The Glen, a live-dine-play-shop community featuring 2,000 homes in eight distinct enclaves.
    Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Today, over 3 in 5 cannabis consumers are aware of terpenes: organic compounds present in plants, fungi and cannabis, and are responsible for distinct scents, flavors and therapeutic effects.
    Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perspicuous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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