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Origin and Etymology of wise
Middle English, from Old English wīse; akin to Old High German wīsa manner, Greek eidos form, idein to see — more at wit
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearDefinition of wise
wiser;
wisest
1 a
: characterized by wisdom : marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment
b
: exercising or showing sound judgment : prudent
- a wise investor
2 a
: evidencing or hinting at the possession of inside information : knowing
b
: possessing inside information
- the police got wise to his whereabouts
d
: aware of or informed about a particular matter
—usually used in the comparative in negative constructions with the
- was none the wiser about their plans
3
archaic
: skilled in magic or divination
4
: insolent, smart-alecky, fresh
- a tough kid with a wise mouth
—
wisely
adverb
—
wiseness
nounExamples of wise in a Sentence
I'm a little wiser now than I was back then.
The wisest course of action would be to leave.
That was a wise choice.
Many have benefited from her wise counsel.
Recent Examples of wise from the Web
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Markle has already proved herself to be a royal unlike any other, at least clothing-wise, with her decisions to sometimes eschew cardigans and wear a messy bun at her wedding.
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The front yard of the 8,712-square-foot lot is no longer dominated by a lawn, but water-wise, low-maintenance landscaping.
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Unlike so much of the entertainment directed at children even today, Mister Rogers was essentially a warm hug and a slow burn: patient, wise, loving, free of slapstick or nonsense or casual violence.
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Aurorans need no further proof than the just-finished month that May is the most volatile time, temperature-wise, in the city.
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The first half of the work week looks quite nice temperature-wise, with some showers possible late Tuesday.
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The songs are very intricate, chord-wise, with backgrounds and different arrangements.
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Percentage-wise, that’s a bigger jump than prices for Napa Cabernet grapes from the same period.
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Food-wise, be prepared for hoagies, pretzels, and pizza.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of wise
Middle English wis, from Old English wīs; akin to Old High German wīs wise, Old English witan to know — more at wit
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1a
See Words from the same yearwise Synonyms
Synonyms
audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, nervy, sassy, saucy;
Near Antonyms
courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper;
Related Words
assertive, forward, obtrusive;
audacious, defiant, disrespectful;
shameless, unabashed, unblushing;
cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky;
Synonym Discussion of wise
wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment. wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.
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- wise beyond his tender years
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- the sage advice of my father
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- the sapient musings of an old philosopher
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- judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure
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- a prudent decision to wait out the storm
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- a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery
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- remained sane even in times of crises
Recent Examples of wise from the Web
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The 44th anniversary of Illinois’ state lottery is less than seven weeks away, and the only concern state government ever seems to have is when people wise up to the lousy odds, buy fewer tickets and revenue projections are missed.
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America lags Europe in regulations protecting consumer data, but some companies are starting to wise up.
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There are indications that some academic institutions are beginning to wise up to the dangers.
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Customers would eventually wise up and stop paying premium prices for GMCs.
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Still, fans are hopeful that Arya and/or Sansa will wise up to Littlefinger's machinations and turn on him.
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The Belgian international understands what his new boss wants to implement at Selhurst Park and he's suggested that his teammates need to wise up to what their Dutch manager is demanding from them, according to Daily Star reports.
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Voters need to wise up to the shenanigans being played by their state leaders and the governor, or prepare to open their wallets to pay for this money pit being created by our one-party system.
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There are stories of wrestlers who hesitated to wise up their spouses and children, even if that meant faking injuries around the house.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of wise
1905
Origin and Etymology of wise
Middle English, from Old English wīsian; akin to Old Norse vīsa to show the way, Old English wīs wise
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same year-wise
Definition of -wise
1 a
: in the manner of
- crabwise
- fanwise
b
: in the position or direction of
- slantwise
- clockwise
2
: with regard to : in respect of
- dollarwise
Origin and Etymology of -wise
Middle English, from Old English -wīsan, from wīse manner
Wise
biographical name
Definition of Wise
Thomas James 1859–1937 English bibliophile and forger
WISE Defined for English Language Learners
wise
Definition of wise for English Language Learners
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: having or showing wisdom or knowledge usually from learning or experiencing many things
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: based on good reasoning or information : showing good sense or judgment
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: saying things that are rude or insulting
-wise
Definition of -wise for English Language Learners
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: in the position or direction of
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: in the manner of
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: with regard to
WISE Defined for Kids
-wise
adverb suffix
\
ˌwīz
\
Definition of -wise for Students
1
: in the manner of
2
: in the position or direction of
- clockwise
3
: with regard to
The movie is successful profit-wise.
Learn More about wise
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See words that rhyme with wise Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wise Spanish Central: Translation of wise Nglish: Translation of wise for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wise for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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