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
Elaina Patton, NBC News, 18 June 2024
Some of the main differences concern the presence, in the new species, of a palatal ridge, a pair of accessory incisive foramina, and a steeper rostrum deflection; among various others.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 June 2024
This incisive biography aims to separate the historical Ashoka, who ruled a vast swath of the Indian subcontinent in the third century B.C., from the one of legend.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Chabrol’s film is an incisive look at class, exploring the nuances of how mistreatment and belittlement build subtly, leading to truly shocking ends.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incisive 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incisive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incisive. Accessed 28 Jun. 2024.
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incisive
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incisive
adjective
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