ac·u·men
(ăḱyə-mən, ə-kyōṓ-)
[Latin acūmen, from acuere, to sharpen, from acus, needle.]
noun
- Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.
usage note
Usage Note: The pronunciation (ə-kyōṓmən), with stress on the second syllable, is an older, traditional pronunciation reflecting the word's Latin origin. In recent years it has been supplanted as the most common pronunciation of the word by an Anglicized variant with stress on the first syllable, (ăḱyə-mən). In a recent survey, 68 percent of the Usage Panel chose this as their pronunciation, while 29 percent preferred the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable. The remaining 3 percent of the Panelists said they use both pronunciations.
