having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
characterized by or showing such power; judicious or prudent.
a wise decision.
possessed of or characterized by scholarly knowledge or learning; learned; erudite.
wise in the law.
having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc..
We are wiser for their explanations.
Slang. informed; in the know.
You're wise, so why not give us the lowdown?
Archaic. having knowledge of magic or witchcraft.
get wise,
to become informed.
to be or become presumptuous or impertinent.
Don't get wise with me, young man!
wise to, familiar or aware; cognizant of; no longer deceived by a lie, confidence game, trick, or misdirection: Also beget wise to
In the end, the investors were wise to the fraud.
put / set someone wise, to inform a person; let a person in on a secret or generally unknown fact.
Some of the others put him wise to what was going on.
Chiefly Scot.
to instruct.
to induce or advise.
to show the way to; guide.
Scot. to direct the course of; cause to turn.
Isaac Mayer 1819–1900, U.S. rabbi and educator, born in Bohemia: founder of Reform Judaism in the U.S.
Stephen Samuel, 1874–1949, U.S. rabbi, theologian, and Zionist leader; born in Hungary.
possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment
prudent; sensible
shrewd; crafty
a wise plan
well-informed; erudite
aware, informed, or knowing (esp in the phrase none the wiser )
slang in the know, esp possessing inside information (about)
archaic possessing powers of magic
slang cocksure or insolent
informal (often foll by to) to be or become aware or informed (of something) or to face up (to facts)
slang (often foll by to) to inform or warn (of)
Also: -ways. indicating direction or manner
clockwise
likewise
with reference to
profitwise
businesswise
What does -wise mean? The suffix -wise meaning “direction” or "a way of doing." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday terms, particularly to indicate a movement. The form -wise comes from Old English wíse, meaning “way, manner; style, melody.” Yes, melody. Discover why at our entry for the related term verse.
The suffix -wise is old in the language in adverbs referring to manner, direction, etc.: crosswise; lengthwise. Coinages like marketwise, saleswise, and weatherwise are often criticized, perhaps because of their association with the media: Otherwise—or moneywise, as they were already saying in the motion-picture industry—Hollywood was at the crest of its supercolossal glory. This suffix should not be confused with the adjective wise1 , which appears in such compound words as streetwise and worldly-wise.
First recorded before 900; Middle English wis(e), Old English wīs; cognate with Dutch wijs, German weise, Old Norse vīss, Gothic (un)weis “ignorant, unlearned”; akin to wit 1, wit 2
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “way, manner; style, melody”; cognate with Dutch wijze, German Weise “tune, melody; (figurative) manner, way,” Old Norse vīsa “verse, stanza, short poem,” Danish vise “ballad”; akin to Greek eîdos (from weîdos ) “form, shape”
First recorded before 900; Middle English wisen, “to advise, reveal, guide,” Old English wīsian “to show the way, guide, direct,” akin to wīs wise 1; cognate with Old High German wīsan, Old Norse vīsa “to point out, indicate”
The adjective wise describes someone who has experience and a deep understanding. Your wise older sister always gives the best advice. When you make a decision based on careful thought and good judgment, you've made a wise choice. If someone calls you a wise guy, though, it's not a compliment: it's likely to be a criticism of your joke at someone else's expense or your rudeness. To wise off (or sometimes, to be wise), has a similar meaning: to talk back or be disrespectful.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not everyone thinks squeezing out juniors is wise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Whether delaying benefits until age 70 was a wise decision is not changed by the fact that he died shortly thereafter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
I didn't have great references from Colombia, because I was not very wise back then, but Mexico welcomed me with arms wide open, knowing one has good and bad moments in life.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Here she remade herself as a low-key singer-songwriter dispensing wise yet unflashy tunes about love, home and family — part of a gentle resetting of pop’s mood after the turmoil of the previous decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
“And where did you learn all these wise things?” he inquired.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
The plan came together after Wise went up to Northern California to speak with a group of players with Kelly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Research how you’ll gain access to cash abroad; an international debit card such as the Wise Card can simplify your cash management.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
She won her first Bafta for The Good Life, was invited onto the coveted Morecambe and Wise Christmas special - and met her husband, policeman Rodney Timson.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Customers now hold $39 billion in Wise accounts, a 40% on-year increase boosting its net interest income, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Wise men had massaged eucalyptus balm into her temples, steamed her face with herbal infusions.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
In Rio de Janeiro, U.S. -wise Brazilian Businessman Valentim Bougas urged Latin Americans to follow the ex ample of European nations, which met in Paris last summer to canvass their needs.
From Time Magazine Archive
Likewise, New Yorker Music Critic Winthrop Sargeant attacked the suffix -wise, as in taxwise.
From Time Magazine Archive
When the shortcomings of any illustrious man save Borrow are under discussion, 'les defauts de ses qualites' is the criticism- -wise as charitable—which they evoke.
From The Life of George Borrow by Jenkins, Herbert George
“Warren and I are mostly peers, but sometimes he is so much wiser than I am, he’s like a father figure to me,” Gates wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
I parked them there years ago and planned to never touch them, but now I’m wondering if this is a risk that older, wiser investors would warn against.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
Instead, it would be far wiser for policymakers to focus on directly strengthening the social safety net, so every patient has equitable access to treatments without financial hardship.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
Araki’s sensibility is, if anything, wiser now, though he’d probably flinch at the word.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
It was better if he didn’t know anything, safer, wiser, and much more comfortable.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
If those aren’t the wisest words for Latinos to embrace for the coming year, I’m not sure what is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2025
With everyone worrying over my safety, a step-by-step approach seemed wisest, so I started by purchasing a 20-mile-per-hour e-bike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Among the zaniness there’s an emotional arc, a dance of personal growth and backsliding, and depending on what the scene requires, he might be the dumbest guy in the room or the wisest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
But you here, whom nature made the wisest of all people, should drop your anger and make everyone who fights alongside us at sea a kinsman, a citizen.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025
“Or throw in with me. That’s the wisest move.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Media, especially after Theranos, wised up a bit.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2022
Olivia Munn also used to apply toothpaste to her pimples but has since wised up to this acne treatment hack.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 6, 2022
They wised up at some point, whereas I still hadn’t learned.
From The Verge ● Dec. 13, 2021
Some have wised up to the ways of the Aedes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2021
"I just got wised up to something funny the last two days," remarked Wilson.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
But now, experts say, Milei is wising up to the game, giving up some campaign promises while maneuvering to secure enough other priorities to claim victory.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
While U.S. players have led the development of retail media networks, European retailers are wising up to the opportunity.
From Reuters ● Jun. 12, 2023
Americans may be wising up, looking for less talk and more action.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 10, 2020
Increasingly, people are wising up to both the company’s serious threat as a monopoly and its willingness to seek domination at the expense of the health of its blue-collar workers.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2018
So I heard; his nibs here," indicating the bartender, "has been wising me up, a lot.
From The Lonesome Trail and Other Stories by Bower, B. M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
