What does wise mean?

Definitions for wise
waɪzwise

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word wise.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. wisenoun

    a way of doing or being

    "in no wise"; "in this wise"

  2. Wise, Stephen Samuel Wisenoun

    United States Jewish leader (born in Hungary) (1874-1949)

  3. Wise, Isaac Mayer Wiseadjective

    United States religious leader (born in Bohemia) who united reform Jewish organizations in the United States (1819-1900)

  4. wiseadjective

    having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

    "a wise leader"; "a wise and perceptive comment"

  5. judicious, wise, headyadjective

    marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters

    "judicious use of one's money"; "a wise decision"

  6. knowing, wise(p), wise to(p)adjective

    evidencing the possession of inside information

  7. fresh, impertinent, impudent, overbold, smart, saucy, sassy, wiseadjective

    improperly forward or bold

    "don't be fresh with me"; "impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup"; "an impudent boy given to insulting strangers"; "Don't get wise with me!"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. WISEadjective

    Etymology: wis , Saxon; wiis, Dutch and Danish.

    I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. Rom. xvi. 19.

    Heav’n is for thee too high; be lowly wise. John Milton.

    All their writings were composed in verse, which were called runes, or viises, and from thence the term of wise came. William Temple.

    Since the floods demand
    For their descent a prone and sinking land:
    Does not this due declivity declare,
    A wise director’s providential care? Richard Blackmore.

    The wisest and best men in all ages, have lived up to the religion of their country, when they saw nothing in it opposite to morality. Addison.

    Speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments. Ex. xxviii. 3.

    Do we count him a wise man, who is wise in any thing but his own proper profession and employment, and wise for every body but himself? John Tillotson.

    They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. Jer. iv. 22.

    There was an old fat woman even now with me. ————
    —— Pray, was’t not the wise woman of Brainford? William Shakespeare.

    One eminent in wise deport spake much. John Milton.

  2. WISEnoun

    Manner; way of being or acting. This word, in the modern dialect, is often corrupted into ways.

    Etymology: wise , Saxon; wse, Dutch; weise, German; guise, Fr. guisa, Italian.

    This song she sings in most commanding wise;
    Come, shepherd’s boy, let now thy heart be bow’d
    To make itself to my least look a slave. Philip Sidney.

    Ere we farther pass, I will devise
    A passport for us both, in fittest wise. Hubberd’s Tale.

    On this wise ye shall bless Israel. Numb. vi. 23.

    The lovers standing in this doleful wise,
    A warrior bold approached. Edward Fairfax.

    With foam upon thy lips, and sparkling eyes,
    Thou say’st and do’st in such outrageous wise,
    That mad Orestes, if he saw the show,
    Wou’d swear thou wert the madder of the two. Dryden.

    ’Tis in no wise strange that such a one should believe, that things were blindly shuffled. John Woodward.

ChatGPT

  1. Wise

    Wise can be defined as having or showing a deep understanding and knowledge along with good judgment and the ability to make sound decisions based on experience and intelligence. It implies being thoughtful, prudent, and insightful in one's actions and choices.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Wise

    having knowledge; knowing; enlightened; of extensive information; erudite; learned

  2. Wise

    hence, especially, making due use of knowledge; discerning and judging soundly concerning what is true or false, proper or improper; choosing the best ends and the best means for accomplishing them; sagacious

  3. Wise

    versed in art or science; skillful; dexterous; specifically, skilled in divination

  4. Wise

    hence, prudent; calculating; shrewd; wary; subtle; crafty

  5. Wise

    dictated or guided by wisdom; containing or exhibiting wisdom; well adapted to produce good effects; judicious; discreet; as, a wise saying; a wise scheme or plan; wise conduct or management; a wise determination

  6. Wise

    way of being or acting; manner; mode; fashion

  7. Etymology: [OE. wise, AS. wse; akin to OS. wsa, OFries. ws, D. wijs, wijze, OHG. wsa, G. weise, Sw. vis, Dan. viis, Icel. ruvs otherwise; from the root of E. wit; hence, originally, knowledge, skill. See Wit, v., and cf. Guise.]

Wikidata

  1. Wise

    Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,286 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wise County. It was originally incorporated as the town of Gladeville in 1874. The town's name was changed to Wise in 1924. Wise is named after Henry A. Wise, the last Virginia governor before the American Civil War. The town is also the home of the University of Virginia's College at Wise.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Wise

    wīz, adj. having wit or knowledge: able to make use of knowledge well: judging rightly: discreet: learned: skilful: dictated by wisdom: containing wisdom: pious, godly.—adjs. Wise′-heart′ed, having wisdom: prudent; Wise′-like (Scot.), sensible, judicious: looking as if capable of playing one's part well.—n. Wise′ling, one who pretends to be wise.—adv. Wise′ly.—n. Wise′ness.—Wise woman, a witch: (Scot.) a midwife.—Never the wiser, still in ignorance. [A.S. wís; Ger. weise; from root of wit.]

  2. Wise

    wīz, v.t. (Scot.) to guide in a certain direction, to incline.

  3. Wise

    wīz, n. way, manner.—In any wise, In no wise, in any way, in no way; On this wise, in this way. [A.S. wíse, orig. wiseness; Ger. weise; akin to wise (1) and wit. Doublet guise.]

Editors Contribution

  1. wise

    The ability to make a decision with intuitive ability, knowledge, experience, skill and understanding

    She was very wise and so was he, they were looking forward with joyful anticipation to their wedding day.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 4, 2020  

Suggested Resources

  1. wise

    Song lyrics by wise -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by wise on the Lyrics.com website.

  2. WISE

    What does WISE stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the WISE acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. WISE

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Wise is ranked #485 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Wise surname appeared 68,649 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 23 would have the surname Wise.

    78.6% or 53,979 total occurrences were White.
    15.5% or 10,675 total occurrences were Black.
    2.3% or 1,634 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    2.1% or 1,469 total occurrences were of two or more races.
    0.7% or 487 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
    0.5% or 398 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'wise' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4724

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'wise' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3375

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'wise' in Adjectives Frequency: #524

How to pronounce wise?

How to say wise in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of wise in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of wise in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of wise in a Sentence

  1. Edward Hoagland:

    There often seems to be a playfulness to wise people, as if either their equanimity has as its source this playfulness or the playfulness flows from the equanimity; and they can persuade other people who are in a state of agitation to calm down and manage a smile.

  2. Little Oak Sanctuary:

    We are heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, wise, friendly soul. Chris is known as the world record holder for having grown the heaviest fleece on record, he was so much more than this, so very much more, and we will remember him for all that he was - someone, not something.

  3. Samuel Johnson:

    Every man wishes to be wise, and they who cannot be wise are almost always cunning.

  4. Johan Wolfgang von Goethe:

    All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times, but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, til they take root in our personal experience.

  5. Barack Obama:

    Chicago is better and stronger for his leadership, and I was a better President for his wise counsel at a particularly perilous time for our country.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

wise#1#4991#10000

Translations for wise

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"wise." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/wise>.

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    a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
    A investigating
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