Word of the month - Perspicacity
(Pronounced puhr-spih-kas-ih-tee) noun Definition from the adjective perspicacious. Perspicacious (pronounced puhr-spih-kay-shus) = having keen mental vision or discernment; penetrating; clear-sighted; having ability to see into and understand what is confusing or not readily apparent. Main Example · As in past years, tens of thousands of people from across the U.S. trekked to downtown Omaha this past May to attend the 2014 annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway. The No. 1 attraction? Investor Warren Buffet, of course, who has attained rock star status for his far-sightedness and unusual perspicacity in the running of that multinational and hugely diversified conglomerate, and whose comments about America’s economic health never fail to make the news Workplace Examples · I’m not surprised that the New Jersey Company has agreed to buy our Toledo plant despite its history of production problems. Their CEO, Mel, probably realizes that, while in the near term the acquisition could be a pain in the neck, it’ll be a big strategic advantage over the long term. Mel is known for his extraordinary courage and perspicacity. · There’s hardly a day when I don’t compliment myself for hiring Shari into our organization. You must have noticed that, during our weekly staff meetings, the most brilliant and perspicacious comments always seem to come from her. Other Examples · somebody attributing his business success to the perspicacity of his advisors; some Wall Street analysts who covered Enron getting a failing grade for not being questioning and perspicacious enough and, instead, becoming “partners” in the selling of that company’s hype · pointing to a seemingly insignificant artefact from Mesopotamia--an artefact which was discovered in the nineteenth century and is only now beginning to yield important clues to that civilization--an archaeologist saying: “The world is so lucky that the person who found it had the perspicacity and interest to preserve it for future generations and not throw it away.” · two former presidential cabinet members who are renowned for their perspicacity on foreign policy matters and who, therefore, are prized guests on television: Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski; of all our living former presidents, Bill Clinton being regarded by some as the most perspicacious · To combat global warming, most big polluters such as the U.S. and China are struggling with how to make their electricity generation less dependent on fossil fuels. In this regard, France is sitting pretty. Thanks to the far-sightedness and perspicacity of French planners in past decades, over 75% of electricity generated in that nation (the highest percentage in the world) is from nuclear power--a non-carbon-emitting source!
