Wisdom

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪzdəm/

Definitions

1. The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment to make sound decisions
2. The ability to apply knowledge and understanding with discernment to make thoughtful choices and navigate life effectively
3. Deep insight combined with prudent judgment that enables one to choose well among competing options and understand profound truths

Etymology: Wisdom is one of the plainest words in English: it is simply "wise" with the suffix "-dom" attached, and the suffix is older than the word it is attached to. "-dom" meant something like "condition, state or judgment" (compare "freedom" or "kingdom"), so the word's original sense was closer to "the state of being wise." The Old English form "wīsdōm" was built this way from the root that gave us "wise," and the same construction shows up across the Germanic languages, from Dutch "wijsdom" to Swedish "visdom." The most surprising cousin is German "Weistum," which once meant a legal sentence or a ruling handed down by a community's judges. Here the "-tum" ending plays the same role as "-dom," and the sense of authoritative pronouncement sits close to the older idea of wisdom as sound judgment that others could rely on.

Synonyms: sagacity, intelligence, knowledge

Antonyms: ignorance, foolishness, naïveté