worldly-wise

adjective

world·​ly-wise ˈwərl(d)-lē-ˌwīz 

variants or less commonly worldly wise

: possessing a practical and often shrewd understanding of human affairs : worldly sense 2

She was pure but practical, idealistic but worldly-wise.

—Andy Levin

It's a photographic exhibition, pulling together an exceptionally diverse range of works, from the obvious to some which may surprise the most worldly-wise of old souls.

—Ian Mansfield

Mabel [Loomis Todd] is quite a woman—complex, resilient, worldly wise, smart and way ahead of her time …

—Nancye Tuttle

Olympia Dukakis, the self-assured, raspy-voiced actress who often played world-weary and worldly wise characters …

—Anita Gates

Synonyms

• cosmopolitan
• smart
• sophisticated
• worldly

Choose the Right Synonym for worldly-wise

sophisticated, worldly-wise, blasé mean experienced in the ways of the world.

sophisticated often implies refinement, urbanity, cleverness, and cultivation.

guests at her salon were usually rich and sophisticated

worldly-wise suggests a close and practical knowledge of the affairs and manners of society and an inclination toward materialism.

a worldly-wise woman with a philosophy of personal independence

blasé implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation.

blasé travelers who claimed to have been everywhere

Examples of worldly-wise in a Sentence

her long career as a globe-trotting journalist has made her very worldly-wise

Recent Examples on the Web

Crucially, they are grounded in real-world experiences, from a recent exchange with worldly-wise restaurant waitresses in Bordeaux exemplifying trust and collaboration, to the coaching of top CEOs over the past 20 years. —Hec Paris Insights, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Heather Alicia Simms and Vanessa Bell Calloway are both sharp, witty, and poignant without sentimentality as the play’s two matriarchal figures, the formidable Missy Judson and Idella Landy, the wry, worldly-wise housekeeper who essentially raised Charlie. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024

Parroni does a good job of balancing the way that adolescents veer from experimenting with a worldly-wise cynicism and dipping back into the wildness of childhood. —Catherine Bray, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

worldly-wise

adjective

world·​ly-wise

ˈwərl-dlē-ˌwīz,

-lē-

: wise as to things and ways of this world