incisive
adjective
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Incisive has meant "impressively direct and decisive" since around 1834 and derives from the Latin verb caedere, meaning "to cut." Its linguistic kin include many cuttings from the fruitful stem caedere, such as scissors, chisel, incise ("to cut into or engrave"), excise ("to remove by cutting"), incisor ("a front tooth typically adapted for cutting"), incision ("cut" or "gash"), precise ("minutely exact"), and concise ("brief"). Incisive also carries a couple of lesser-known literal meanings relating to cutting: "having a cutting edge or piercing point" (as in "incisive fangs"), and, in dentistry, "of, relating to, or situated near the incisors."
Examples of incisive in a Sentence
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
The emotional and incisive play was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2019.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
But, grounded by the strength and sensitivity Guaita brings to the lead role, this Like Water for Chocolate is something at least as precious: a melodrama whose extreme emotions are tied to incisive ideas.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
Indiana brought to bear a keen eye, an incisive intelligence in his reviews for the publication, which were collected in the 2018 volume Vile Days: The Village Voice Art Columns, 1985–1988.
—News Desk, Artforum, 24 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incisive. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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incisive
adjective
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incisive
adjective
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