astute adj : marked by practical hardheaded intelligence; "a smart businessman"; "an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease"; "he was too shrewd to go along with them on a road that could lead only to their overthrow" [syn: sharp, shrewd]

English

Etymology

Latin astūtus, from astus ‘craft’.

Pronunciation

• /əsˈtjuːt/

  Rhymes: -uːt

Adjective

1. Quick at seeing how to gain advantage, especially for oneself; shrewd; critically discerning.

Derived terms

• astutely
• astuteness

Translations

Italian

Adjective

astute

1. Feminine plural form of astuto

Latin

Adverb

1. craftily, cunningly

Two submarines of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Astute for the characteristic of shrewdness and discernment.

• Astute (P447), launched in 1945, was an Amphion-class submarine. She served in World War II but never saw action against an enemy. She was scrapped in 1970.
• Astute (S119), laid down in 2001 and launched in 2007, is the lead ship of the Astute class of nuclear-powered attack submarines.

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