sagacity

n. [ L. sagacitas. See Sagacious. ] The quality of being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment or penetration with soundness of judgment; shrewdness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some [ brutes ] show that nice sagacity of smell. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Natural sagacity improved by generous education. V. Knox. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Penetration; shrewdness; judiciousness. -- Sagacity, Penetration. Penetration enables us to enter into the depths of an abstruse subject, to detect motives, plans, etc. Sagacity adds to penetration a keen, practical judgment, which enables one to guard against the designs of others, and to turn everything to the best possible advantage. [ 1913 Webster ]