5/28/2018 wisdom - Wiktionary

wisdom
See also: Wisdom

Contents
English
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
See also
Middle English
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Descendants

Old English
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Declension
Descendants

English

Etymology
From Middle English wisdom, from Old English wīsdōm (“wisdom”), from Proto-Germanic *wīsadōmaz (“wisdom”),
corresponding to wise + -dom or wise + doom (“judgement”). Cognate with Scots wisdom, wysdom (“wisdom”), West
Frisian wiisdom (“wisdom”), Dutch wijsdom (“wisdom”), German Weistum (“legal sentence”),
Danish/Norwegian/Swedish visdom (“wisdom”), Icelandic vísdómur (“wisdom”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: wĭzʹdəm, IPA(key): /ˈwɪzdəm/

Audio (US) 0:00 MENU

Hyphenation: wis‧dom

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Noun
wisdom (countable and uncountable, plural wisdoms)

1. (uncountable) An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
2. (countable) A piece of wise advice.
3. The discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.
4. The ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the
knowledge was gained.
5. The ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.
6. (theology) The ability to know and apply spiritual truths. [quotations ▼]

Synonyms

(ability to make a decision): For semantic relationships of this sense, see wisdom in the Thesaurus.

Antonyms

foolishness
folly

Derived terms

conventional wisdom
pearl of wisdom
wisdomless
wisdom tooth

Related terms

wise
wisehead
wiseness

Translations
±element of personal character [show ▼]

±piece of wise advice [show ▼]

±discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good [show ▼]

±ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way [show ▼]

±ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and[show ▼]

intuitive understanding
±ability to know and apply spiritual truths [show ▼]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation
tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See
instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked [show ▼]

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See also
morality

Middle English

Etymology
From Old English wīsdom. Equivalent to wys + -dom.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /wizdəm/

Noun
wisdom (plural wisdomes)

1. wisdom

Descendants

English: wisdom
Scots: wisdom, wysdom

Old English

Etymology
From wīs + dōm, or from Proto-Germanic *wīsadōmaz. Cognate with Old Frisian and Old Saxon wīsdom, Old High
German wīstuom, Old Norse vísdómr.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ˈwiːsdoːm/, [ˈwiːzdoːm]

Noun
wīsdōm m

1. wisdom

Declension
Declension of wisdom (strong a-stem) [show ▼]

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5/28/2018 wisdom - Wiktionary

Descendants

Middle English: wisdom

English: wisdom

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