wisdom

A2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈwɪzdəm/ UK /ˈwɪzdəm/ See IPA manual

Freq #4060

Meanings

1

noun
The ability to make good decisions using knowledge and experience.

With age came a quiet wisdom that everyone respected.
2

noun
Knowledge and understanding built up over a long time.

The book passes on the wisdom of generations of farmers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the ability to make good... wisenesssapience

More acuity astuteness clairvoyance discernment discrimination gumption insight nous penetration perspicacity prudencesagaciousness

Opposites

folly foolhardiness foolishness imprudence stupidityunwisdom

Word family

Forms wisdoms

Derived forms wisdomless

Related forms intelligence judgement morality sage wisewiseheadwiseness

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”).

*weyd- Proto-Indo-European wisdom Middle English wīsdōm Old English *wīsadōm Proto-West Germanic *wīsadōmaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

External links

# wisdom

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪzdəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɪzdəm/
**Frequency rank:** 4060

## Meanings
1. The ability to make good decisions using knowledge and experience.
2. Knowledge and understanding built up over a long time.

## Examples
- With age came a quiet wisdom that everyone respected.
- The book passes on the wisdom of generations of farmers.

## Synonyms
- acuity
- astuteness
- clairvoyance
- discernment
- discrimination
- gumption
- insight
- nous
- penetration
- perspicacity
- prudence
- sagaciousness

## Antonyms
- folly
- foolhardiness
- foolishness
- imprudence
- stupidity
- unwisdom

## Derived Forms
- wisdomless

## Related Forms
- intelligence
- judgement
- morality
- sage
- wise
- wisehead
- wiseness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weyd-
- Root: wisdom
- Root: wīsdōm
- Root: *wīsadōm
- Root: *wīsadōmaz
- Affix: -dom - state

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Wisdom is 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”). Important historical forms include Proto-Indo-European *weyd-, Middle English wisdom, Old English wīsdōm, Proto-West Germanic *wīsadōm, and Proto-Germanic *wīsadōmaz. In present-day use, it can mean the ability to make good decisions using knowledge and experience, or knowledge and understanding built up over a long time.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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wisdom

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