Marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness.

Roget 864: cautious, wary, guarded; on one's guard etc. (watchful) 459; cavendo tutus [Lat.]; in medio tutissimus [Lat.]; vigilant.    careful, heedful; cautelous^†, stealthy, chary, shy of, circumspect, prudent, discreet, politic; sure-footed etc. (skillful) 698.    unenterprising, unadventurous, cool, steady, self-possessed; overcautious.    ... show more

Roget 702: cunning, crafty, artful; skillful etc. 698; subtle, feline, vulpine; cunning as a fox, cunning as a serpent; deep, deep laid; profound; designing, contriving; intriguing etc. v.; strategic, diplomatic, politic, Machiavelian, timeserving^†; artificial; tricky, tricksy^†; wily, sly, slim, insidious, stealthy; underhand etc. (hidden) 528; subdolous^†; deceitful etc. 545; slippery as an eel, evasive etc. 623; crooked; arch, pawky^†, shrewd, acute; sharp, sharp as a tack, sharp as a needle^†; canny, astute, leery, knowing, up to snuff, too clever by half, not to be caught with chaff.    tactful, diplomatic, politic; polite etc. 894.    ... show more

Roget 498: intelligent [Applied to persons], quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp; quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp-eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted; wide-awake; canny, shrewd, astute; clear-headed; farsighted etc. 510; discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing; argute^†; quick-witted, nimble-witted, needle-witted; sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack; alive to etc. (cognizant) 490; clever etc. (apt) 698; arch etc. (cunning) 702; pas si bete [Fr.]; acute etc. 682.    wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens [Lat.], judicious, strong-minded.    unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted^†, unprepossessed^†; undazzled^†, unperplexed^†; unwarped judgment^†, impartial, equitable, fair.    cool; cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed; long-sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting; solid, deep, profound.    oracular; heaven-directed, heaven-born.    prudent etc. (cautious) 864; sober, stand, solid; considerate, politic, wise in one's generation; watchful etc. 459; provident etc. (prepared) 673; in advance of one' age; wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon.    [Applied to actions] wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious; well-thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised; prudent, politic; expedient etc. 646.    ... show more

Smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication:
— He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage.

synonyms: bland, smooth, suave.

Roget 894: courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane; well-behaved, well-mannered, well-bred, well-brought up; good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated; refined etc. (taste) 850; gentlemanlike etc. (fashion) 852^†; gallant; on one's good behavior.    fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken; honey-mouthed, honey-tongued; oily, bland; obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent; obsequious etc. 886.    ingratiating, winning; gentle, mild; good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar; neighborly.    diplomatic, tactful, politic; artful etc. 702.    ... show more