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While the noun savvy, meaning "practical know-how" (as in "her political savvy"), and the adjective use (as in "a savvy investor") are more common, the verb savvy is the oldest of the trio. (If you associate it with Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, you'll be pleased to know his use—as in, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"—is not anachronistic; the verb was the only savvy option extant in the movies' early 18th-century setting.) Current evidence dates the verb savvy to the late 17th century, when English speakers altered a word—sabi, meaning "know"—they were hearing in English-based creoles and pidgins (a pidgin is a simplified language or dialect that speakers of different languages use to communicate with one another; a creole is a language that evolves from a pidgin to become a native language for a speech community). Sabi has its roots in Portuguese sabe, meaning "he knows," and it ultimately comes from Latin sapere, meaning "to be wise."
Synonyms
Adjective
- astute
- canny
- clear-eyed
- clear-sighted
- hard-boiled
- hardheaded
- heady
- knowing
- sharp
- sharp-witted
- shrewd
- smart
Noun
Verb
Examples of savvy in a Sentence
Alena Botros, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
But savvy shoppers have found that splitting items with friends, neighbors, or relatives solves this conundrum.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
In the absence of conversational savvy, even the best AI risk becoming another piece of unfeeling software.
—Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2023
The Giants were knocked coming into the season for having the oldest roster in baseball, but as their remarkable season unfurled and the veterans flourished, the narrative shifted to admiration for the leadership and savvy the older players provided.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Oct. 2021
See all Example Sentences for savvy 
Dictionary Entries Near savvy
Cite this Entry
“Savvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savvy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
savvy
2 of 3 nounsavvy
3 of 3 adjective
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