wisdom
good judgment from experience
The ability to make good decisions because you know a lot and think carefully.
[someone]'s wisdom about [something]
- She showed great wisdom in deciding to wait before investing her money.
- With age and experience often comes greater wisdom.
- His wisdom and calm attitude helped the team through a very stressful time.
- They turned to their grandmother for wisdom about how to handle the situation.
- We need political leaders who have the wisdom to think beyond the next election.
- My grandfather is full of wisdom.
- She used her wisdom to choose the right job.
- With time, he gained wisdom about relationships.
- They asked their teacher for wisdom about their future plans.
- It takes wisdom to know when to say nothing.
widely accepted belief or view
A belief that most people think is true, often without thinking about it much.
the wisdom that [clause]
- Conventional wisdom says that housing prices always go up, but history shows this is not true.
- The study challenges the wisdom that younger workers are always more productive.
- According to political wisdom at the time, the party could not win without changing its leader.
- The received wisdom in the industry is that print is dead, yet some magazines are still thriving.
- Economic wisdom once held that inflation and unemployment could not rise together.
- Conventional wisdom says breakfast is the most important meal.
- The article questions the wisdom that money always brings happiness.
- For years, the wisdom in business was to grow as fast as possible.
- He went against the conventional wisdom and started a company during a crisis.
- Teachers sometimes disagree with the wisdom that tests are always useful.
wise remark or advice
A single wise idea or piece of advice that helps you.
a piece of wisdom about [something]
- His father left him with a few simple words of wisdom about money and work.
- The book is full of practical wisdom on how to handle stress.
- She listened carefully to her mentor’s wisdom before making her choice.
- One piece of wisdom I try to remember is to treat others as I want to be treated.
- Ancient wisdom often appears in short sayings and proverbs.
- My teacher gave me some wisdom about studying.
- Her words of wisdom helped me choose a school.
- This small book is full of wisdom about daily life.
- He shared one simple wisdom: sleep enough every night.
- I wrote down his wisdom so I would not forget it.
back adult tooth (wisdom tooth)
A large back tooth that grows when you are a young adult, often called a wisdom tooth.
have a wisdom tooth [removed/extracted]
- My dentist says my wisdom teeth need to be removed.
- She had surgery last week to take out an impacted wisdom tooth.
- Wisdom teeth often cause pain when they start to come in.
- The X-ray shows that your wisdom teeth are growing at an angle.
- After his wisdom tooth extraction, he could only eat soft food.
- I have pain from my wisdom tooth.
- The dentist took out two of my wisdom teeth.
- Her wisdom teeth started to grow when she was nineteen.
- He cannot eat solid food because of his wisdom tooth surgery.
- An impacted wisdom tooth can be very painful.
deep spiritual or philosophical insight
Very deep understanding of life or truth, often in religion or philosophy.
the wisdom of [tradition/person]
- Many people look to ancient texts for spiritual wisdom.
- The film explores the wisdom found in different religious traditions.
- They were inspired by the quiet wisdom of the old monk.
- Philosophy asks whether true wisdom about reality is even possible.
- Her poetry reflects a wisdom that seems far beyond her years.
- He reads the Bible for wisdom about life.
- People travel to the temple to seek wisdom.
- The book shares the wisdom of many great thinkers.
- Some believe that true wisdom comes from meditation.
- We can learn wisdom from old stories and myths.
- Base: wisdom
- Plural: wisdom, wisdoms
a fount of wisdom
1person full of wise ideas
Someone who knows a lot and often gives very wise advice or information.
- My grandmother is a fount of wisdom when it comes to family problems.
- The book is a fount of wisdom on how to lead a simple, happy life.
in someone's infinite wisdom
1sarcastic comment about a decision
A sarcastic way to say that someone’s decision was not wise, even though you pretend to call them very wise.
- Management, in its infinite wisdom, decided to cut customer support on weekends.
- Our landlord, in his infinite wisdom, painted all the windows shut.
pearl of wisdom
1short, valuable wise remark
A short and very wise piece of advice or comment, sometimes said jokingly or ironically.
- He’s always ready with another pearl of wisdom about how to save money.
- Our manager offered this pearl of wisdom: "If everything is a priority, nothing is."
received wisdom
1accepted but unexamined belief
A belief that people accept because it has been repeated for a long time, not because they have checked it themselves.
- The book challenges the received wisdom about how children learn languages.
- For years, the received wisdom was that fat is always bad for you.
the wisdom of hindsight
1understanding something after it happens
The understanding you have about a decision or event after it has happened, when it is easy to see what was right or wrong.
- With the wisdom of hindsight, we can see that the warnings were clear.
- The decision seems foolish now, but that is only with the wisdom of hindsight.
the wisdom of the ages
1traditional wisdom over centuries
The wise ideas and knowledge that people have collected over a very long time, across many generations.
- Proverbs often contain the wisdom of the ages in a few simple words.
- The course explores the wisdom of the ages from different cultures.
words of wisdom
1spoken wise advice
Wise and helpful things that someone says, often as advice.
- Before we left home, my mother gave us a few words of wisdom about staying safe.
- The speech was full of words of wisdom for young graduates.
conventional wisdom
1Widely accepted belief
The idea that most people believe is true, even if it may not be.
- Conventional wisdom says you should buy a home instead of renting.
- Conventional wisdom says you should change jobs every few years to advance your career.
- It goes against conventional wisdom to invest during a recession.
- He went against conventional wisdom by dropping out of college to start a business.