wisdom

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The ability to make good decisions using knowledge and experience.

   With age came a quiet wisdom that everyone respected.

2. 2
   noun

   Knowledge and understanding built up over a long time.

   The book passes on the wisdom of generations of farmers.

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”).

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