sapient

Meaning

Adj

1. (formal) Possessing discernment and wisdom; learned, wise.
2. (broadly, derogatory, ironic) Attempting to appear discerning or wise.
3. (broadly, rare) Followed by of: aware or knowledgeable of.
4. (broadly) Of a lifeform or species: possessing intelligence or a high degree of self-awareness.
5. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Homo sapiens (modern human beings).
6. (obsolete, rare) Having a (good) flavour or taste; sapid.

Noun

1. A wise person; a sage.
2. (broadly) An intelligent, self-aware being.
3. A human being of the species Homo sapiens.

Opposite of

insapient, nonsapient

Synonyms

sagacious

wise

perspicacious

savant

judicious

sage

lettered

literary

noetic

bookish

prudent

sane

scholar

sensible

sharp

overwise

bright

discriminating

ingenious

intellectual

intelligent

Translations

sage

weise

wijs

σοφός

akıllı

عاقل

sapiens

wijze

ajuizado

prudente

sagaz

sensato

sabio

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈseɪpɪənt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sapient

In summary

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English sapient (“learned, wise”), from Old French sapient, or from its etymon Latin sapient-, a stem of sapiēns (“(adjective) discerning, judicious, wise; (noun) wise man, sage”), the present active participle of sapiō (“to have a flavour of, taste like; (figurative) to have good taste; to have discernment or sense; to be prudent, sensible, or wise”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p-, *sep- (“to taste; to try out”). Doublet of savant.
The noun is derived from the adjective, and also influenced by Latin sapiēns (noun) (see above).