streetwise

Or street-wise

[street-wahyz]

adjective

1. street-smart.

streetwise

/ ˈstriːtˌwaɪz /

adjective

1. Also: street-smart. attuned to and adept at surviving in an urban, poor and often criminal environment

Other Word Forms

• street wisdom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of streetwise¹

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; street + wise ¹

Example Sentences

His dark complexion, rustic drawl and streetwise swagger became integral to his cinematic identity.

From BBC

No whiff of the streetwise bunch who suckered Croatia and Poland within days of each other last November.

From BBC

Now he’s back with his own film about a streetwise addict and it turns out he’s a heck of a director, too.

From Los Angeles Times

She was streetwise and brassy and physically striking, a small-time hustler and “dice girl” who lingered in casinos to induce men to drink and gamble.

From Los Angeles Times

You cannot press and play with high energy for the full 90 minutes and Arsenal were streetwise enough not to exhaust themselves in the first half and to leave something in the tank.

From BBC

Related Words

• astute 
• cagey 
• canny 
• crafty 
• farsighted 
• ingenious 
• judicious 
• keen 
• penetrating 
• perceptive 
• probing 
• prudent 
• sensible 
• sharp 
• slick 
• sly 
• smart 
• wily 
• wise