English Reference

Word

perspicuous

Phoneticsper·spic·u·ous

Definition

adj. clear and easy to understand. You use this to describe someone's speech or writing when they explain a complicated idea very simply.

adj. clearly expressed and easily understood; lucid. Adjective, typically applied to prose, arguments, or individual speakers.

Examples

“The professor gives a perspicuous explanation of the theory.”

“Despite the complexity of the new tax regulations, her report remained perspicuous and accessible to all staff members.”

“The philosopher's writing is admired for its perspicuous style, which manages to navigate dense ontological questions without the obfuscation common to his contemporaries.”

Examples

simple

“The professor gives a perspicuous explanation of the theory.”

contextual

“Despite the complexity of the new tax regulations, her report remained perspicuous and accessible to all staff members.”

complex

“The philosopher's writing is admired for its perspicuous style, which manages to navigate dense ontological questions without the obfuscation common to his contemporaries.”

Etymology

From Latin perspicuus, in turn from perspiciō (“see through”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Logic

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Rare
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/perspicuous

English Reference