wisdom
/ˈwɪzdəm/ noun, proper noun
Forms wisdoms wisedome wisdome
- noun (uncountable) An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
- noun (countable) A piece of wise advice.
- noun The discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.
- noun The ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained.
- noun The ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.
- noun (theology) The ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
- noun (rare) A group of wombats.
- noun (rare) A group of owls.
- proper noun (biblical) The Wisdom of Solomon, a book of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canon of the Old Testament, considered apocryphal by Protestants.
Synonyms
parliament acuity astuteness clairvoyance discernment discrimination gumption insight nous penetration perspicacity prudence sagaciousness sagacity sageliness sageness sapience savvy sharpness sophy wiseness soundness Wisdom of Solomon
Antonyms
foolishness folly foolhardiness imprudence stupidity unwisdom
Etymology
From Middle English wisdom, from Old English wīsdōm (“wisdom”), from Proto-West Germanic *wīsadōm, from Proto-Germanic *wīsadōmaz (“wisdom”), corresponding to wise + -dom. Cognate with Scots wisdom, wysdom (“wisdom”), West Frisian wiisdom (“wisdom”), Dutch wijsdom (“wisdom”), German Weistum (“legal sentence”), Danish/Norwegian/Swedish visdom (“wisdom”), Icelandic vísdómur (“wisdom”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The quality of being wise; knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and the best means; discernment and judgment; discretion; sagacity; skill; dexterity.
- noun The results of wise judgments; scientific or practical truth; acquired knowledge; erudition.
Etymology [AS. wisdom. See Wise, a., and -dom.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “wisdom”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details