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acumen

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms 0.01 sec.
ac·u·men  (ky-mn, -ky-)
n.
Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.

[Latin acmen, from acuere, to sharpen, from acus, needle; see ak- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: The pronunciation (-kymn), with stress on the second syllable, is an older, traditional pronunciation reflecting the word's Latin origin. In recent years it has been supplanted as the most common pronunciation of the word by an Anglicized variant with stress on the first syllable, (ky-mn). In a recent survey, 68 percent of the Usage Panel chose this as their pronunciation, while 29 percent preferred the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable. The remaining 3 percent of the Panelists said they use both pronunciations.

acumen [ˈækjʊˌmɛn əˈkjuːmən]
n
the ability to judge well; keen discernment; insight
[from Latin: sharpness, from acuere to sharpen, from acus needle]
acuminous  adj
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.acumen - a tapering point
plant process, enation - a natural projection or outgrowth from a plant body or organ
2.acumenacumen - shrewdness shown by keen insight    
astuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdness - intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)

acumen
noun judgment, intelligence, perception, wisdom, insight, wit, ingenuity, sharpness, cleverness, keenness, shrewdness, discernment, perspicacity, sagacity, smartness, smarts (slang, chiefly U.S.), astuteness, acuteness, perspicuity His sharp business acumen meant he quickly rose to the top.
Translations
acumen [ˈækjʊmen] Nperspicacia f, tino m, agudeza f
acumen [əˈkjuːmən ˈækjʊmən] nperspicacité f
business acumen → sens m des affaires
political acumen → sens m de la politique
acumen
nScharfsinn m; to show (considerable) acumen(großen) Scharfsinn beweisen; business acumenGeschäftssinn m; political acumenpolitische Klugheit
acumen [ˈækjʊmɛn] nacume m, perspicacia
business acumen → fiuto negli affari


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Knowing the young reporter as we do, we can understand with what acumen he had traced, step by step, the story of Mathilde Stangerson and Jean Roussel.
He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension præternatural.
Rochester had sometimes read my unspoken thoughts with an acumen to me incomprehensible: in the present instance he took no notice of my abrupt vocal response; but he smiled at me with a certain smile he had of his own, and which he used but on rare occasions.
 
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