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
Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 May 2025
In an incisive observation of the way that an adult’s words can sometimes settle on a child with unusual weight, I-Jing absorbs this folk superstition without question, and begins to shoplift gaudy trinkets from surrounding market stalls, only ever using her evil left hand.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 May 2025
What results is a series of stunning essays that are personal, incisive cultural criticism, very funny and deeply sad.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Mount and Amad form an excellent one-two punch of ball carrying, incisive passing and goalscoring threat.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incisive
Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incisive. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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incisive
adjective
Medical Definition
incisive
adjective
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