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While the noun savvy, meaning "practical know-how" (as in "her political savvy"), and the adjective use (as in "a savvy investor") are more common, the verb savvy is the oldest of the trio. (If you associate it with Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, you'll be pleased to know his use—as in, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"—is not anachronistic; the verb was the only savvy option extant in the movies' early 18th-century setting.) Current evidence dates the verb savvy to the late 17th century, when English speakers altered a word—sabi, meaning "know"—they were hearing in English-based creoles and pidgins (a pidgin is a simplified language or dialect that speakers of different languages use to communicate with one another; a creole is a language that evolves from a pidgin to become a native language for a speech community). Sabi has its roots in Portuguese sabe, meaning "he knows," and it ultimately comes from Latin sapere, meaning "to be wise."
Synonyms
Adjective
- astute
- canny
- clear-eyed
- clear-sighted
- hard-boiled
- hardheaded
- heady
- knowing
- sharp
- sharp-witted
- shrewd
- smart
Noun
Verb
Examples of savvy in a Sentence
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2024
The napkin is picked up by a savvy venture capitalist.
—Ilya Strebulaev and Alex Dang, TIME, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for savvy 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'savvy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near savvy
Cite this Entry
“Savvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savvy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
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savvy
2 of 3 nounsavvy
3 of 3 adjective
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