ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsAacumen
ISEE/SSAThard
acumen
Meaning: keen judgment in practical matters
acumen in a sentence
How acumen is used in real sentences:
Her financial acumen helped the struggling company recover.
The coach showed tactical acumen by changing the team's formation at halftime.
“Yet after she began to peruse the engineering reports, her practical acumen recognized an opportunity: the alloy could survive decades of soot, salt, and careless hands.”
— from the passage Against the Metal
Synonyms for acumen
Other words for acumen — insight, shrewdness and discernment — carry the same meaning.
- insight
- shrewdness
- discernment
Antonyms of acumen
Words that mean the opposite of acumen:
- ineptitude
- obtuseness
- foolishness
Where it comes from
From Latin acumen, meaning 'sharpness' or 'point.'
Word parts
- acr/acu — sharp; bitter
acumen: acu (sharpen) + -men (result)
Memory hook
ACUMEN starts like ACUTE: both suggest a sharp mind.