wisdom
Americannoun
-
the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.
- Synonyms:
- understanding, sense
- Antonyms:
- stupidity
-
scholarly knowledge or learning.
the wisdom of the schools.
- Synonyms:
- enlightenment, erudition, sapience
- Antonyms:
- ignorance
-
wise sayings or teachings; precepts.
-
a wise act or saying.
-
(initial capital letter) Wisdom of Solomon.
noun
-
the ability or result of an ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight
-
accumulated knowledge, erudition, or enlightenment
-
archaic a wise saying or wise sayings or teachings
-
obsolete soundness of mind
Related Words
See information.
Other Word Forms
- wisdomless adjective
Etymology
Origin of wisdom
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English wīsdōm; cognate with Old Norse vīsdōmr, German Weistum. See wise 1, -dom
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.
If the conventional wisdom was indeed the original meaning, its defenders should be able to identify members of the enacting coalition who said so.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the prevailing wisdom there is we better not endorse anybody, because we don’t want to tilt this one way or the other.”
From Los Angeles Times
History is not a world-spirit moving inexorably towards some breezy, sunlit upland of wisdom.
From Salon
"I am saying integrate that with the quality they have, and the tactical wisdom Tuchel has, because I genuinely believe it could be something that helps England win the World Cup."
From BBC
So you’re always trying to recapture that youthful thing, but with the wisdom that comes along with the age.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
