What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Wisdom vs Wit - What's the difference?

wisdom | wit |

As nouns the difference between wisdom and wit

is that wisdom is an element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise while wit is sanity.

As a proper noun Wisdom

is the Wisdom of Solomon, a book of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh.

As a verb wit is

know, be aware of construed with of when used intransitively.

As a preposition wit is

{{en-SoE}} an alternative spelling of lang=en.

wisdom

English

(wikipedia wisdom)

Noun

  • (uncountable) An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
  • (countable) A piece of wise advice.
  • The discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.
  • The ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained.
  • The ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.
  • (theology) The ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
  • * 1652 , , The Fame and Confe??ion of the Fraternity of…the Ro?ie Cro?s , pages 1–2 of the preface
    • Wi?dom …is to a man an infinite Trea?ure, for ?he is the Breath of the Power of God, and a pure Influence that floweth from the Glory of the Almighty; ?he is the Brightne?s of Eternal Light, and an undefiled Mirror of the Maje?ty of God, and an Image of his Goodne?s; ?he teacheth us Soberne?s and Prudence, Righteou?ne?s and Strength; ?he under?tands the Subtilty of words, and Solution of dark ?entences; ?he foreknoweth Signs and Wonders, and what ?hall happen in time to come.

    Synonyms

    * sagacity * sapience

    Antonyms

    * foolishness * folly

    Derived terms

    * conventional wisdom * pearl of wisdom * wisdom tooth

    Related terms

    * wise * wisehead * wiseness * Wissen (German)

    See also

    * morality English words suffixed with -dom ----

    wit

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) . Compare (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Sanity.
  • The senses.
  • Intellectual ability; faculty of thinking, reasoning.
  • The ability to think quickly; mental cleverness, especially under short time constraints.
  • Intelligence; common sense.
  • Humour, especially when clever or quick.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;
  • A person who tells funny anecdotes or jokes; someone witty.
    • Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * brevity is the soul of wit * collect one's wits * gather one's wits * have one’s wits about one * inwit * mother wit * native wit * scare out of one’s wits * witcraft * witful * witless * witling * witter * wittol * witticism

    See also

    (type of humor) * acid * biting * cutting * lambent

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . Compare (m).

    Verb

    (head)
  • (ambitransitive, chiefly, archaic) Know, be aware of .
    • You committed terrible actions — to wit , murder and theft — and should be punished accordingly.
    They are meddling in matters that men should not wit of.
  • * 1849 , , St. Luke the Painter , lines 5–8
    • but soon having wist
    How sky-breadth and field-silence and this day
    Are symbols also in some deeper way,
    She looked through these to God and was God’s priest.
    Conjugation
    {, , - , valign="top" , {, class="prettytable" , - ! Infinitive , to wit , - ! Imperative , wit , - ! Present participle , witting , - ! Past participle , wist , } , valign="top" , {, class="prettytable" , - ! ! Present indicative ! Past indicative , - ! First-person singular , I wot , I wist , - ! Second-person singular , thou wost, wot(test) (archaic); you wot , thou wist(est) (archaic), you wist , - ! Third-person singular , he/she/it wot , he/she/it wist , - ! First-person plural , we wit(e) , we wist , - ! Second-person plural , ye wit(e) (archaic); you wit(e) , ye wist (archaic), you wist , - ! Third-person plural , they wit(e) , they wist , } , }
    Usage notes
    * As a preterite-present verb, the third-person singular indicative form is not .
    Derived terms
    * to wit * unwitting * witness

    Etymology 3

    From English with.

    Preposition

    (head)
  • (en-SoE)

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs English terms with homophones ----