perspicuous

per·spic·u·ous
P3E1R1S1P3I1C3U1O1U1S1
UK/pəˈspɪkjuːəs/US/pərˈspɪkjəwəs/US/pɚˈspɪkjuːəs/

adjective

Clearly expressed, easy to understand; lucid.

Similar
transparentperviousapprehensibleclearlimpidcomprehensibleexplainableexplicable
Opposite
abstruseChinesedenseenigmaticfathomless
OriginLatin perspicuus →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectiveperspicuous (comparative more perspicuous, superlative most perspicuous)

comparative more perspicuous · superlative most perspicuous

  1. Clearly expressed, easy to understand; lucid.

    I am always willing to run some hazard of being tedious in order to be sure that I am perspicuous […]

    1776, Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter 4

    Synonyms: transparent, pervious, apprehensible, clear, limpid, comprehensible, explainable, explicable · Antonyms: abstruse, Chinese, dense, enigmatic, fathomless, bottomless, Greek, inapprehensible

  2. human sciences(Of a language or notation) the process of inference from premises to conclusion is explicitly laid out.
  3. rareliteralThat can be seen through clearly; that lets light through.

    Synonyms: transparent, see-through, translucent, clear, clear as crystal, crystalline, diaphanous, glassy · Antonyms: imperspicuous, adiaphanous, nontransparent, opacous, opacular, opaque, thick

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveClearly expressed, easy to understand; lucid.

Similar
transparentperviousapprehensibleclearlimpidcomprehensibleexplainableexplicableexplicatablefathomablegraspableilluminableintelligiblelucidpellucidstraightforwardtangibleunderstandable
Opposite
abstruseChinesedenseenigmaticfathomlessbottomlessGreekinapprehensibleincognizableincomprehensibleineffableinenubilableinexplicableimpenetrableinsensibleinscrutableinsolubleinsolvablemysteriousnonunderstandable

adjectiveThat can be seen through clearly; that lets light through.

Similar
transparentsee-throughtranslucentclearclear as crystalcrystallinediaphanousglassyhyalinehyaloidlimpidlucidpellucidsee-throughserenetransparenttranspicuousvitreous
Opposite
imperspicuousadiaphanousnontransparentopacousopacularopaquethick

More synonyms by meaning

adjective(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable

Similar
limpidlucidluculentpellucidcrystal clearclear
Also see
apprehensibleclearcolourlesscomprehensiblecrystal clearlimpidlucidluculentpellucidpervioustangibletransparent

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinperspicuus
  2. Englishperspicuous

From Latin perspicuus, in turn from perspiciō (“see through”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ясен, прегледен
  • ясен (jasen)clearly expressed
  • прегледен (pregleden)clearly expressed
  • разбираем (razbiraem)clearly expressed
  • експлицитен (ekspliciten)logic: explicitly laid out
Chinese Mandarin 明白
  • 明白 (míngbai)clearly expressed
Dutch duidelijk, begrijpelijk
  • duidelijkclearly expressed
  • begrijpelijkclearly expressed
  • klaarclearly expressed
Greek σαφής
  • σαφής (safís)clearly expressed
Korean 명백한
  • 명백한 (myeongbaekhan)clearly expressed
Latin perspicuus
  • perspicuusclearly expressed
Norwegian Bokmål tydelig
  • tydeligclearly expressed
Russian ясный, понятный
  • ясный (jasnyj)clearly expressed
  • понятный (ponjatnyj)clearly expressed
  • чёткий (čótkij)clearly expressed
Spanish perspicuo
  • perspicuoclearly expressed
Cite this entry
APA

perspicuous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspicuous

MLA

“perspicuous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspicuous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perspicuous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspicuous.

Source: perspicuous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.