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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The French Revolution failed because the élites tried to force top-down change, but the Glorious Revolution—which might better be described as a coup by Dutch commercial interests—somehow reflected a wise acquiescence to bottom-up processes. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Violet is truly gifted in modern dance; one of those rare young artists who is wise for their age. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Think: Golden Hour’s older, wiser sister, who may or may not be into crystals and breathwork and keeping a gratitude journal. Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 In a wise and loving pep talk, her mom advises against giving up — a refreshing change of pace from all those undermining movie mothers. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Tender, knowing, attuned to youthful melodrama yet wise beyond her years: Every generation should be as lucky as Gen Z to get a torch singer like Eilish. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Be wise and stay smart; these metrics should guide you to entrepreneurial success. Chris Kille, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 There’s nothing people on social media like doing more than making up quotes from their child and pretending their progeny is wise beyond their years. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 The tale, based on a true story, brings two unlikely figures together — a wise but imperiled feudal lord and a brash, crass British pilot whose ship got washed ashore. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
When the unthinkable happens, there’s beauty, not shame, in growing up, wising up and finding new ways to think. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Apps are slowly but surely wising up to the idea that initial conversations people have can significantly shape the trajectory of their relationship. Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 In the meantime, however, regulators are wising up to the fact that blockchains are creating a new frontier for policing. Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 16 Aug. 2023 As such, brands across all sectors are wising up to the importance of this generation, and rapidly changing their marketing strategies. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023 View Photos Now, other magazines might be content to wring their hands and pose rhetorical questions about when the dopes buying SUVs will wise up and discover the virtues of the wagon, but not this one. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 15 July 2023 Speaking out The world is starting to wise up, though, according to Kate Griggs, a dyslexic mother of two dyslexic children who is now CEO of Made by Dyslexia, a nonprofit that aims to educate the public and teachers about learning disabilities. Victoria Clayton, Washington Post, 12 June 2023 Many items are already beginning to sell out, and so word to wise: make your selection ASAP! Sophie Dweck, townandcountrymag.com, 3 June 2023 Seattle's Ron Francis didn't have that luxury because rival GMs had wised up. Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023

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 28 Mar. 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

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