wisdom

English Online Dictionary. What means wisdom‎? What does wisdom mean?

English

Alternative forms

• wisedome (obsolete)
• wisdome (obsolete)

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/
• Rhymes: -ɪzdəm
• Hyphenation: wis‧dom

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.
7. (rare) A group of wombats.
8. (rare) A group of owls.

   Synonym: parliament

Synonyms

• (ability to make a decision): See Thesaurus:wisdom

Antonyms

• foolishness
• folly

Derived terms

Related terms

• wise
• wisehead
• wiseness

Translations

References

• (group of wombats): Woop Studios, Jay Sacher. A Compendium of Collective Nouns: From an Armory of Aardvarks to a Zeal of Zebras. Chronicle Books, 2013. p. 213

See also

• morality

Middle English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwizdoːm/

Noun

wisdom (plural wisdomes)

1. wisdom

Related terms

• unwisdom

Descendants

• English: wisdom
• Scots: wisdom, wysdom

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīsadōmaz. Cognate with Old Frisian wīsdom, Old Saxon wīsdom, Old High German wīstuom, Old Norse vísdómr. Equivalent to wīs +‎ dōm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiːsˌdoːm/, [ˈwiːzˌdoːm]

Noun

wīsdōm m

1. wisdom
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: wisdom
  • English: wisdom