different between incisive vs discriminating

English

Etymology

Late Middle English (in the sense “cutting, penetrating”), borrowed from Medieval Latin inc?s?vus, from inc?d? (“to cut in, cut through”) +? -?vus (“-ive”, adjectival suffix). Compare Middle French incisif.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?sa?.s?v/
• Rhymes: -a?s?v

Adjective

incisive (comparative more incisive, superlative most incisive)

1. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and concise.
   1. (of an account) Accurate and sharply focused.
2. (of an action) Quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression.

   Synonyms: decisive, forthright

3. Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument.
   • And her incisive smile accrediting / That treason of false witness in my blush.

   Synonyms: sharp, acute, sarcastic, biting

4. (anatomy, not comparable) Of or relating to the incisors.

Derived terms

Translations

References

• “incisive”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “incisive”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.si.ziv/
• Homophone: incisives

Adjective

incisive

1. feminine singular of incisif

Noun

incisive f (plural incisives)

1. incisor (tooth)

Further reading

• “incisive” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in.t??i?zi.ve/
• Hyphenation: in?ci?sì?ve

Adjective

incisive

1. feminine plural of incisivo

Anagrams

• inveisci

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /in.ki??si?.u?e/, [??ki??s?i?u??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /in.t??i?si.ve/, [in??t??i?s?i?v?]

Adjective

inc?s?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of inc?s?vus

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?s?k??m?ne?t??(?)/

Adjective

discriminating (comparative more discriminating, superlative most discriminating)

1. Able to perceive fine distinctions between similar things; perceptive
2. Having a discerning judgment or taste

Verb

discriminating

1. present participle of discriminate