From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwisewise1 /waɪz/ ●●● S3 adjective 1 decision/idea etcSENSIBLE wise decisions and actions are sensible and based on good judgment SYN sensibleit is wise to do something It’s wise to check whether the flight times have changed before you leave for the airport.be wise to do something I think you were wise to leave when you did. a wise precaution I don’t think that would be a very wise move (=not be a sensible thing to do).2 personINTELLIGENT someone who is wise makes good decisions, gives good advice etc, especially because they have a lot of experience of life a wise old man At the time I thought he was wonderful, but I’m older and wiser now. As a manager, Sanford was wise in the ways of (=knew a lot about) company politics.► see thesaurus at intelligent3 → be none the wiser/not be any the wiser4 → get/be wise to somebody/something5 → wise guy6 → be wise after the event —wisely adverb Invest the money wisely. He nodded wisely. → wisdom, → sadder but wiser at sad(6)
Examples from the Corpus
wise• If that were all, I'd applaud it as a wise and public-spirited action and I hope it starts a trend.• "I've decided to apply for that job." "I think that's a very wise decision."• Buying good health insurance was a wise decision.• Burton didn't like what he was hearing, but he was wise enough to keep his thoughts to himself.• Do you think it's wise for him to travel alone?• a wise investment• He thought it might be wise not to tell her what had happened.• She was a wise old woman, and we all valued her advice.• If our species is extinguished, others will be wiser or luckier.• If at all possible, it's wise to discuss attitudes to communal living before jointly moving in.• Perhaps it would be wise to telephone first.• One thing is certain: It has never been wise to underestimate Yeltsin.• The wise use of time can be a crucial element in other ways.be wise to do something• It's wise to start saving money now for your retirement.• And it might be wise to keep a particular eye on your son.• He was sailing home and they would be wise to do the same.• Rover was wise to stay away from the Motor Show, thus saving itself more than a million quid.• Statistically my time is limited, so would I be wise to leave things as is?• The old tramp has served his purpose, but beyond this point it would not be wise to go.• With more serious problems it would be wise to seek professional counselling.• Would it be wiser to use a more conventional vehicle for a down payment?• It was wise to be happy, she believed, whereas he was complacent to be wise.older and wiser• Or call them simply older and wiser.• Or were they really older and wiser?• But its author, William Powell, now says he is older and wiser, and has renounced violent direct action.• He felt both older and wiser now.• She is older and wiser now.• She might have been soft-hearted and vulnerable once, where he was concerned, but she was a lot older and wiser now.• The Prince had become older and wiser since his previous attacks.• Sensed somewhere below the thinking mind, somehow older and wiser than consciousness, there is ... ... Something.wisewise2 verb → wise up→ See Verb tablewisewise3, -wise /waɪz/ suffix 1 → price-wise/time-wise etc2 → crosswise/lengthwise etc → clockwise, streetwiseOrigin -wise Old English -wisan, from wise “way, method” wise1 Old English wis 