Added 9 October 2026
clever
/ˈklɛv.ə/ adjective
In Latin: versūtus, dolōsus, vafer Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about clever at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others.
a cagey lawyer
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Mentally quick and resourceful.
an apt pupil
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Showing inventiveness and skill.
a clever gadget
Origin
From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”). * perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”); * or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or East/Saterland Frisian (compare kluftich (“clever, prudent”), probably derived from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban (“to cleave, split”)); * or dialectal Norwegian klover (“ready, skillful”), itself borrowed from Middle Low German klever, related to kleven (“to stick”), from Old Saxon klibōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klibēn, related to the Old English word above; * possibly influenced by Old English clifer (“claw, hand”) (compare clawian (“to claw”)). Related to cleave.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)