wield
Americanverb (used with object)
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to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating.
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to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively.
- Synonyms:
- control, manipulate
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Archaic. to guide or direct.
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Archaic. to govern; manage.
verb
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to handle or use (a weapon, tool, etc)
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to exert or maintain (power or authority)
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obsolete to rule
Other Word Forms
- unwieldable adjective
- wieldable adjective
- wielder noun
Etymology
Origin of wield
First recorded before 900; Middle English welden, Old English wieldan “to control,” derivative of wealdan “to rule”; cognate with German walten, Old Norse valda, Gothic waldan; akin to Latin valēre “to be strong, prevail”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both smaller parties could yet wield influence as part of a post-election deal.
From BBC
Few people know who the reserved veteran is, so no one sees her coming — which allows her to wield her curiosity to discover potential players out in the real world.
From Los Angeles Times
The term “Aqua fitness” may conjure images of seniors tepidly wielding foam noodles to ‘50s pop tunes. But Porciuncula’s water fitness classes are … “hard,” as he puts it.
From Los Angeles Times
Often called the first modern president, TR expanded the office’s power and influence, wielding his clout to conserve public land, regulate corporations and bolster America’s status as a world power.
One reason: Fed chairs have historically wielded outsize influence over the 12-person Federal Open Market Committee that votes on interest rates, but they don’t have the power to set rates on their own.
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.
