as in sophisticated
having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience
her long career as a globe-trotting journalist has made her very worldly-wise
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Recent Examples of worldly-wise
Crucially, they are grounded in real-world experiences, from a recent exchange with worldly-wise restaurant waitresses in Bordeaux exemplifying trust and collaboration, to the coaching of top CEOs over the past 20 years.
—
Hec Paris Insights, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Heather Alicia Simms and Vanessa Bell Calloway are both sharp, witty, and poignant without sentimentality as the play’s two matriarchal figures, the formidable Missy Judson and Idella Landy, the wry, worldly-wise housekeeper who essentially raised Charlie.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Parroni does a good job of balancing the way that adolescents veer from experimenting with a worldly-wise cynicism and dipping back into the wildness of childhood.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
Hec Paris Insights, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Heather Alicia Simms and Vanessa Bell Calloway are both sharp, witty, and poignant without sentimentality as the play’s two matriarchal figures, the formidable Missy Judson and Idella Landy, the wry, worldly-wise housekeeper who essentially raised Charlie.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Parroni does a good job of balancing the way that adolescents veer from experimenting with a worldly-wise cynicism and dipping back into the wildness of childhood.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worldly-wise
Adjective
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Burnett, the spokesperson for the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, said the scam calls have increased in frequency in recent years and become more sophisticated in the last year.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Cunlin Button-down Shirt There aren’t many clothing pieces that look more sophisticated than a crisp button-up shirt.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gothic cathedrals, art deco villas, vintage yellow trams, impeccably dressed signore, bright red Negronis glinting in the sun—these are some of the most classic symbols of Milan, but there’s a whole other side to the city, one that’s contemporary, cosmopolitan, and just plain cool.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
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Book lovers in Beijing are also increasingly drawn to the cosmopolitan city’s annual Literature Festival.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Parked nearby is a grocery cart filled with his worldly processions.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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Cecile is worldly and has seen her share of sorrow, while Fanny has been cloistered in this elaborate old castle under the watchful eye of an over-protective mother and eccentric grandmother.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worldly-wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worldly-wise. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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