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. 723; id. Heaut. 710: 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. 604 Don.: aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias, Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; 3, 17, 61.