Incisive
/ɪnˈsaɪ.sɪv/noun
Having a sharp, penetrating quality in thought, style, or expression.
Did you know?Its ancestor is the Latin verb *incīdere*, meaning “to cut into,” from the same root that gave us words like *incision* and *decisive*—proof that English still uses ancient cutting language for sharp intelligence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k(e)i-
“to cut; to split”
Latin
Latin
caedere
“to cut; to strike down”
Latin
Latin
incīdere
“to cut into; to carve”
Late Latin / Old French
Latin/Old French
incisif
“cutting; sharp; trenchant”
Late Middle English
English
incisif
“sharp in style or expression”
Modern English
English
incisive
“sharp, direct, and penetrating in thought or expression”