wise

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Able to make good decisions thanks to knowledge and experience.

   She is a wise and trusted leader.

2. 2
   adj

   Sensible; showing good judgement.

   Saving money for the winter was a wise decision.

3. 3
   adj

   Aware of or informed about something, often with 'to'.

   Be careful: the boss is wise to your plan.

From Middle English wisen (“to advise, direct”), from Old English wisian (“to show the way, guide, direct”), from Proto-West Germanic *wīsōn, from Proto-Germanic *wīsōną (“to show the way, dispense knowledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Compare Dutch wijzen (“to indicate, point out”), German weisen (“to show, indicate”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål vise (“to show”), Norwegian Nynorsk visa (“to show”).

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