wis ‧ dom /ˈwɪzdəm/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: wis ; ⇨ ↑ wise 1 ]
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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financial know-how
▪ wisdom good sense and judgment, based on knowledge and experience:
the wisdom of the older family members
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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.
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She has a good grasp of the language.