Sharpness, quickness, or severity, particularly in manner, tone, or taste.
From Latin 'acris' (sharp, sour) through Old French, shortened from longer forms like 'acritude' and related to 'acrid', with the '-ity' suffix creating an abstract noun.
Though rarely used in modern English, 'acrity' once described the biting quality of sarcasm or sharp-tasting food, and it's a reminder that we've lost some wonderfully precise words for subtle variations of 'meanness.'
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