a suffixal use of wise 2 in adverbs denoting manner, position, direction, reference, etc.: counterclockwise; edgewise; marketwise; timewise. Cf. -ways .
Usage . The suffix -WISE is old in the language in adverbs referring to manner, direction, etc.: crosswise; lengthwise. Coinages like marketwise, saleswise, and weatherwise are often criticized, perhaps because of their association with the media: Otherwise - or moneywise, as they were already saying in the motion-picture industry - Hollywood was at the crest of its supercolossal glory. This suffix should not be confused with the adjective WISE 1 , which appears in such compound words as streetwise and worldly-wise.