Word of the Day

: October 18, 2012

worldly-wise

adjective WERLD-lee-wyze

What It Means

: possessing a practical and often shrewd understanding of human affairs

worldly-wise in Context

The interns' supervisor addressed the group, saying "We don't expect our interns to be worldly-wise-we expect them to be conscientious, hardworking, and committed to learning how work in a small non-profit is done."

"His supposed ruthlessness is the perfect antidote to that greatest of sins for the worldly-wise-naïveté." - From Miles J. Unger's 2011 book Machiavelli: A Biography

Did You Know?

"Worldly-wise" is one of a handful of compound adjectives formed from the word "wise" ("having wisdom or knowledge"). "Penny-wise" (from the phrase "penny-wise and pound-foolish") is a good word for describing someone who is good with only small sums or matters. "Weather-wise" can describe a competent meteorologist or someone who is competent in a different kind of forecasting: that of changes in opinion or feeling. These adjectives aren't especially common, but they do see occasional use. Even less common is "air-wise," which can be applied to people skilled in aviation. And if you master these words and feel the wiser for it, you may consider yourself "self-wise"-that is, wise in your own estimation.