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wisdom

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈwɪzdəm// UK //wˈɪsdəm// wis·dom Archaic General-service Informal

n. the ability to make good decisions based on your knowledge and experience. You usually gain this over time by learning from life.

n. the capacity to judge rightly in matters relating to life and conduct, derived from experience, knowledge, and good sense.


SIMPLE

My grandfather shared his wisdom with me.

CONTEXTUAL

After years of running the business, she had the wisdom to know when to take a risk and when to hold back.

COMPLEX

The ancient philosophers argued that true wisdom lies not merely in accumulating facts, but in understanding the fundamental nature of reality and one's place within it.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

Often followed by an infinitive verb phrase, as in 'the wisdom to know', or paired with the preposition 'of'.

Idioms1 entry

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