English Explanatory Dictionary

wisdom

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
  2. A piece of wise advice.
  3. The discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.
  4. The ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained.
  5. The ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.
  6. The ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
  7. A group of wombats.
  8. A group of owls.
  9. Ellipsis of wisdom tooth.
name
  1. The Wisdom of Solomon, a book of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canon of the Old Testament, considered apocryphal by Protestants.

Pronunciation

wĭzʹdəm /ˈwɪzdəm/ en-us-wisdom.ogg

Word forms

wisdom wisdoms wisedome wisdome

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”).

Synonyms

acuity astuteness clairvoyance discernment discrimination gumption insight nous penetration perspicacity prudence sagaciousness sagacity sageliness sageness sapience savvy sharpness sophy understanding wisdom wiseness wit parliament

Antonyms

foolishness folly foolhardiness imprudence stupidity unwisdom

Related words

wise wisehead wiseness morality intelligence judgement sage

Derived words

conventional wisdom font of all wisdom fount of all wisdom in one's infinite wisdom lip wisdom pearl of wisdom penny wisdom received wisdom salt of wisdom Seat of Wisdom street wisdom Throne of Wisdom wisdomless wisdom of Silenus wisdom of Solomon wisdom of the crow wisdom tooth

Translations

Cherokee: ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ Danish: visdom Dutch: wijsheid Estonian: tarkus Finnish: viisaus French: sagesse Galician: sabedoría Georgian: სიბრძნე German: Weisheit Greek: σοφία Hebrew: חוכמה \ חָכְמָה Hungarian: bölcsesség Ido: sajeso Italian: saggezza Japanese: 英知 Japanese: 知識 Latin: sapientia Latin: scientia Latvian: gudrība Māori: whakaaronui Norwegian: visdom Portuguese: sabedoria Russian: му́дрость Scottish Gaelic: gliocas Swahili: hekima Turkish: hikmet Ottoman Turkish: عقل Yiddish: חכמה
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