Perspicacity (also called perspicaciousness) is a penetrating discernment (from the Latin perspicācitās, meaning throughsightedness, discrimination)—a clarity of vision or intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight.
[6] The quality is needed in psychotherapists who engage in person-to-person dialogue and counseling of the mentally ill.[7] Perspicacity is different from acuity, which also describes a keen insight.
[10] He summarised the rule as Oportet ingenii aciem ad res minimas et maxime faciles totam convertere, atque in illis diutius immorari, donec assuescamus veritatem distincte et perspicue intueri.
In his study of the elements of wisdom, the modern psychometrician Robert Sternberg identified perspicacity as one of its six components or dimensions; the other five being reasoning, sagacity, learning, judgement, and the expeditious use of information.
[11] In his analysis, the perspicacious individual is someone who ... has intuition; can offer solutions that are on the side of right and truth; is able to see through things—read between the lines; has the ability to understand and interpret his or her environment.