wisdom
/ˈwɪzdəm
/noun [mass noun]
1The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise: listen to his words of wisdom...
- And a stoic is a person who combines the qualities of wisdom, upright dealing, and courage.
- For all her power, he felt she lacked wisdom and judgement, and it was past time she learned her place.
- The authors of these guides have years of inside knowledge, wisdom and practical experience to pass on to you.
1.1The fact of being based on sensible or wise thinking: some questioned the wisdom of building the dam so close to an active volcano...
- If spending on this scale is sensible, its wisdom ought to be demonstrable.
- It was only months later, when her father suffered a heart attack, that she questioned the rabbis' wisdom.
- The old woman showed great wisdom in asking the question that she did.
1.2The body of knowledge and experience that develops within a specified society or period: Eastern wisdom...
- The second human characteristic is a widespread tendency to accept conventional wisdoms, be they religious, economic or scientific.
- Allies need to do more about training good minds who are expert on Asia and who are not afraid of challenging conventional intelligence wisdoms.
- He said the country was well placed to draw on established moral wisdoms, such as African, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Christian and other faiths and securalist views.
Synonyms
knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship, philosophy;
lore
Phrases
in someone's wisdom
Origin
Old English wīsdōm (see wise1, -dom).