wise and sensible

wise

I. wise¹ S3 /waɪz/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: wis]
1. DECISION/IDEA ETC wise decisions and actions are sensible and based on good judgment SYN sensible
it is wise to do something
It’s wise to check whether the flight times have changed before you leave for the airport.
be wise to do something
I think you were wise to leave when you did.
a wise precaution
I don’t think that would be a very wise move (=not be a sensible thing to do).
2. PERSON someone who is wise makes good decisions, gives good advice etc, especially because they have a lot of experience of life:
a wise old man
At the time I thought he was wonderful, but I’m older and wiser now.
As a manager, Sanford was wise in the ways of (=knew a lot about) company politics.
3. be none the wiser/not be any the wiser
a) to not understand something even after it has been explained to you:
Charlie explained how the system works, but I’m still none the wiser.
b) used for saying that no one will find out about something bad that someone has done:
He could easily have taken the money and no one would have been any the wiser.
4. get/be wise to somebody/something informal to realize that someone is being dishonest:
Teachers quickly get wise to students who are cheating. ⇨ wise up at ↑wise²
5. wise guy especially informal American English an annoying person who thinks they know more than they really do:
OK, wise guy, shut up and listen!
6. be wise after the event to realize what you should have done in a situation after it has happened:
It’s easy to be wise after the event.

wisely adverb:
Invest the money wisely.
He nodded wisely.

realistic

rea‧lis‧tic S3 /rɪəˈlɪstɪk/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑realism, ↑realist, ↑reality, ↑unreality, ↑realization; adverb: ↑real, ↑really, ↑realistically ≠ ↑unrealistically; adjective: ↑real, ↑unreal, ↑realistic ≠ ↑unrealistic; verb: ↑realize]
1. judging and dealing with situations in a practical way according to what is actually possible rather than what you would like to happen OPP unrealistic
it is not realistic to do something
It’s just not realistic to expect a promotion so soon.
realistic about
You need to be realistic about the amount you can do in a day.
2. a realistic aim or hope is something that it is possible to achieve OPP unrealistic:
Is this a realistic target?
I don’t think they have a realistic chance of winning.
3. realistic pictures or stories show things as they are in real life:
a realistic portrayal of life in Victorian Britain

COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ nouns
▪ a realistic chance/prospect We felt we had a realistic chance of beating England.
▪ a realistic option/alternative We do not believe there is any realistic alternative.
▪ a realistic goal/target Set realistic goals for yourself.
▪ a realistic expectation There are no realistic expectations of improvement.
▪ a realistic figure/price A more realistic figure for energy saving would be 20 percent.
▪ a realistic solution Compromise is the only realistic solution.

THESAURUS
▪ possible if something is possible, it can be done or achieved: I think it’s possible that we could win the race. | I want to get back by 5 o'clock if possible. | Please let me know your answer as soon as possible.
▪ feasible if an idea or plan is feasible, it is possible and you can find a practical way of doing it: We need to find out first if the idea is technically feasible. | It is not feasible to have security cameras in every part of the building. | Da Silva considered it feasible that uranium could be produced on an industrial scale.
▪ viable possible and likely to be successful, and therefore worth doing: Nuclear energy is the only viable alternative to coal or gas. | The product needs to be commercially viable. | We have yet to find a viable solution to the problem. | The company was no longer financially viable (=it could not make enough money to be able to continue).
▪ workable a workable plan, system, or solution is one that can be done or used: By early morning, they had arrived at a workable and safe solution. | The company would have a tough job convincing people that the deal was workable.
▪ doable informal if something is doable, you have enough money, energy, or skill to do it: This exercise programme is doable for most people. | Do you think the walk is doable? | Hosting great parties is fun, easy, and doable on any budget. | The book is full of interesting and doable recipes.
▪ achievable (also attainable formal) able to be achieved: A 15% cut in carbon emissions is achievable. | Perfect democracy is not attainable, nor is perfect freedom or perfect justice.
▪ realistic if something is realistic, it seems sensible to think that it can be done or achieved: a realistic target | Their expectations didn’t seem very realistic. | It is important to set yourself realistic goals.

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.