# incisive

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɪnˈsaɪ.sɪv/ · frequency rank #38,901

## Definitions
1. Intelligently analytical and concise. (of a person or mental process)
2. Intelligently analytical and concise. (of a person or mental process)
3. Quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression. (of an action)
4. Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; trenchant.
5. Of or relating to the incisors.

## Etymology
Late Middle English (in the sense “cutting, penetrating”), borrowed from Medieval Latin incīsīvus, from incīdō (“to cut in, cut through”) + -īvus (“-ive”, adjectival suffix). Compare Middle French incisif.

## Easily confused with
- **invasive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/incisive-vs-invasive)
- **inclusive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/incisive-vs-inclusive)
- **indecisive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/incisive-vs-indecisive)
- **incision** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/incision-vs-incisive)

## Common misspellings (11)
`icnisive`, `inccisive`, `inciisve`, `incisiev`, `incisivve`, `incissive`, `incisvie`, `incsiive`, `inicsive`, `inncisive`, `nicisive`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/incisive