wise

1 of 5

adjective

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
c
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
: insolent, smart-alecky, fresh
a tough kid with a wise mouth
4
archaic : skilled in magic or divination
wisely adverb
wiseness noun

wise

2 of 5

verb (1)

wised; wising

intransitive verb

: to become informed or knowledgeable : learn
used with up

transitive verb

: to give instruction or information to : teach
usually used with up
wise him up about procedures

wise

3 of 5

noun

: manner, way
in any wise
Old age seemed in no wise to have dulled him, but to have sharpened …Herman Melville

wise

4 of 5

verb (2)

wised; wising

transitive verb

1
chiefly Scotland
a
2
chiefly Scotland : to divert or impel in a given direction : send

-wise

5 of 5

adverb combining form

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
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

wise beyond his tender years

sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

Examples of wise in a Sentence

Adjective 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. wised him up to some of the more effective tricks of salesmanship she eventually wised up to the fact that he was taking advantage of her
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Then, after Machado capitalized on the count leverage by rolling a 2-and-1 single through the infield, the 13-year veteran made a wise (albeit controversial) play on the bases to change the trajectory of the game. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024 But buying good stocks on bad news is a wise investment technique for almost anyone. John Dorfman, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
Now, bears have wised up, and many natural areas across the U.S. require bear canisters. Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2024 Such methods are never foolproof, however, and their effectiveness has diminished as citizens have wised up and learned to operate within rigged systems. Kenneth Roth, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2021 See all Example Sentences for wise 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English wis, from Old English wīs; akin to Old High German wīs wise, Old English witan to know — more at wit

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wīse; akin to Old High German wīsa manner, Greek eidos form, idein to see — more at wit

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English wīsian; akin to Old Norse vīsa to show the way, Old English wīs wise

Adverb combining form

Middle English, from Old English -wīsan, from wīse manner

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1905, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wise was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wise

Cite this Entry

“Wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wise. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

wise

1 of 4 noun
: manner sense 2b
used in such phrases as in any wise, in no wise, in this wise

wise

2 of 4 adjective
wiser; wisest
1
: having or showing wisdom, good sense, or good judgment : sensible
a wise person
a wise investment
2
: having special or secret information : informed
I was wise to their plans
3
: boldly rude or disrespectful : impudent
wisely adverb

wise

3 of 4 verb
wised; wising
: to make or become informed or smart
used with up
wise up if you want to get ahead

-wise

4 of 4 adverb combining form
ˌwīz
1
a
: in the manner of
b
: in the position or direction of
slantwise
clockwise
2
: with regard to : in respect of
Etymology

Noun

Old English wīse "way, manner"

Adjective

Old English wīs "showing good judgment or intelligence"

Adverb combining form

derived from Old English wīse "manner"

Biographical Definition

Wise 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Stephen Samuel 1874–1949 American (Hungarian-born) rabbi

Wise

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas James 1859–1937 English bibliophile and forger

More from Merriam-Webster on wise

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