astutia

astūtĭa, ae, f. [astutus], the quality of being astutus, orig. (like acumen, dolus, etc.) dexterity, adroitness, and also (eccl. Lat.) understanding, wisdom: Quibus (feris) abest ad praecavendum intellegendi astutia, Pac. ap. Cic. Fin. 5, 11, 31 (Trag. Rel. p. 122 Rib.):

ut detur parvulis astutia,

Vulg. Prov. 1, 4:

intellegite, parvuli, astutiam,

ib. ib. 8, 5.—But very early used in a bad sense, cunning, slyness, subtlety, craft as a habit (most freq. in ante-class. and Ciceron. Lat.;

afterwards supplanted by astus, q. v.): est nobis spes in hac astutiā,

Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 53:

nec copiast [Me expediundi], nisi si astutiam aliquam corde machinor,

id. ib. 3, 3, 15 Fleck.; 3, 4, 7; id. Ep. 3, 2, 27; id. Mil. 2, 2, 82:

nunc opus est tuā Mihi ad hanc rem expromptā malitiā atque astutiā,

Ter. And. 4, 3, 8; id. Heaut. 4, 3, 32:

quod si aut confidens astutia aut callida esset audacia, vix ullo obsisti modo posset,

Cic. Clu. 65, 183:

quae tamen non astutiā quādam, sed aliquā potius sapientiā secutus sum,

id. Fam. 3, 10, 9:

qui (Deus) adprehendit sapientes in astutiā eorum,

Vulg. Job, 5, 13; ib. 1 Cor. 3, 19; ib. Ephes. 4, 14.—Also plur.:

in regionem astutiarum mearum te induco,

Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 78; so id. Ep. 3, 2, 39:

Hem astutias,

Ter. And. 3, 4, 25 Don.:

aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias,

Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; 3, 17, 61.