wisdom

wis‧dom /ˈwɪzdəm/ noun [uncountable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wis; ⇨ wise1]
1. good sense and judgment, based especially on your experience of life:
   • a man of great wisdom
  question/doubt the wisdom of (doing) something
   • Local people are questioning the wisdom of spending so much money on a new road.
   • You can always expect a few words of wisdom from Dave. ⇨ pearls of wisdom at pearl(3)
2. knowledge gained over a long period of time through learning or experience:
   • the collected wisdom of many centuries
3. (the) conventional/received/traditional etc wisdom a belief or opinion that most people have:
   • The conventional wisdom is that boys mature more slowly than girls.
4. in sb’s (infinite) wisdom humorous used to say that you do not understand why someone has decided to do something:
   • The boss, in her infinite wisdom, has decided to reorganize the whole office yet again.
     • • •

THESAURUS

   ▪ knowledge the facts and information that you have learned, and the understanding you have gained: • Our knowledge of other cultures and societies has improved. | • scientific knowledge
   ▪ expertise special knowledge about how to do something, that you get through experience, training, or study: • The technical expertise was provided by a Japanese company. | • They need people with medical expertise.
   ▪ know-how practical knowledge about how to do something: • Business leaders often lack the local know-how to tackle problems in specific countries. | • financial know-how
   ▪ wisdom good sense and judgment, based on knowledge and experience: • the wisdom of the older family members | • It’s a matter of common wisdom that newspapers cannot be trusted.
   ▪ grasp how much you know about a situation or subject, and how well you understand it: • He’s been praised for his grasp of the country’s economic problems. | • She has a good grasp of the language.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

wisdom

wis·dom[wisdomwisdoms] [ˈwɪzdəm] [ˈwɪzdəm]noununcountable

1. the ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have

• a woman of great wisdom

• words of wisdom

2. ~ of sth/of doing sth how sensible sth is

• I question the wisdom of giving a child so much money.

3. the knowledge that a society or culture has gained over a long period of time

• the collective wisdom of the Native American people

more at pearl of wisdom at pearl

Idioms: in his wisdom ▪ received wisdom

Word Origin:

Old English wīsdōm (see wise, -dom).

Example Bank:

• Consultants are too often seen as the source of all wisdom.

• Contrary to conventional wisdom, stress is not a bad thing.

• Conventional wisdom has it that higher oil prices are bad for economic growth.

• Do you have any wisdom to impart on this subject?

• He entertained the audience for two hours with his wit and wisdom.

• He is too lacking in worldly wisdom to be a politician.

• His journals are full of dubious pearls of homespun wisdom.

• In their infinite wisdom, the council closed the swimming pool for the school holidays.

• In their infinite wisdom, they closed the swimming pool at the busiest time of year.

• It's easy enough to see what we should have done, with the wisdom of hindsight.

• Many commentators doubted the political wisdom of introducing a new tax.

• Popular wisdom dictates that a father is essential in raising a son.

• She devoted her life to the pursuit of wisdom.

• The former world champion imparted a few words of wisdom to the young runners.

• The latest unemployment figures prove the wisdom of the government's policy.

• The received wisdom is that the book is always better than the film.

• Those who seek wisdom at the shrine will find it.

• students eager to catch pearls of wisdom from the professor's lips

• the accumulated wisdom of generations

• All the religions of the past contain vast amounts of wisdom that can be of service to mankind.

• Children need to feel that their parents are in control; they don't have the experience or wisdom to know best.

• Conventional wisdom has it that all sense of community has gone, but that is not the case where I live.

• Do you have any more words of wisdom for us?

• He was known to be a man of great wisdom.

• I was not quite so lacking in worldly wisdom as to accept this invitation from a complete stranger.

• I would hardly regard him as a fount/source of all wisdom.

• In their infinite wisdom they have decided to close the main road during the holiday season.

• Native American wisdom was passed on from generation to generation.

• Several people questioned the wisdom of building in that particular spot.

• The monks dedicate their lives to prayer and the pursuit of wisdom.

• They would go to the holy shrines to seek wisdom.

• They would treat these pearls of wisdom with some scepticism.

• We need to combine ancient wisdom and modern knowledge.

• You cannot just ignore the accumulated wisdom of a whole culture.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

wisdom / ˈwɪz.dəm / noun [ U ]

B2 the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments:

One certainly hopes to gain a little wisdom as one grows older.

He's got a weekly radio programme in which he dispenses wisdom (= gives his opinions) on a variety of subjects.

I tend to doubt the wisdom of separating a child from its family whatever the circumstances.

Did we ever stop to question the wisdom of going to war?

Before I went off to university my father gave me a few words of wisdom.

Conventional/Received/Popular wisdom has it (= most people think) that women are more emotional than men, but in my experience it often isn't the case.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

wisdom

[wɪ̱zdəm]
wisdoms
1) N-UNCOUNT Wisdom is the ability to use your experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions or judgements.
  ...the patience and wisdom that comes from old age.
  ...a great man, who spoke words of great wisdom.
2) N-VAR Wisdom is the store of knowledge that a society or culture has collected over a long period of time.
  ...a folksy piece of wisdom.
  ...this church's original Semitic wisdom, religion and faith.
  ...a simpler and more humane approach, based on ancient wisdoms and `natural' mechanisms.
3) N-SING: the N of n/-ing If you talk about the wisdom of a particular decision or action, you are talking about how sensible it is.
  Many Lithuanians have expressed doubts about the wisdom of the decision.
4) N-VAR: supp N You can use wisdom to refer to ideas that are accepted by a large number of people.
  Health education wisdom in the UK differs from that of the United States...
  Unchallenged wisdoms flow swiftly among the middle classes.
  ●
  PHRASE: N inflects The conventional wisdom about something is the generally accepted view of it.
  ...the conventional wisdom that soccer is a minor sport in America.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

wisdom

wis·dom /ˈwɪzdəm/ noun [noncount]
1 a : knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life
• She has gained a lot of wisdom over the years.
b : the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand
• a young person of great wisdom
c : knowledge of what is proper or reasonable
• He had the wisdom to stop before he said too much. : good sense or judgment
• I fail to see the wisdom in doing that.
2 : advice or information given to a person
• folk/divine wisdom
• He shared a valuable bit of wisdom with his daughter.
• These stories offer plenty of wisdom to readers.
- see also conventional wisdom
in someone's (infinite) wisdom
- used in an ironic way to say that someone has made a foolish choice or decision
• He decided, in his infinite wisdom, that it would be better to sell the house than to keep it.
pearls of wisdom
- see pearl