n. The property of being wise; the power or faculty of forming the fittest and truest judgment in any matter presented for consideration; a combination of discernment, discretion, and sagacity, or similar qualities and faculties, involving also a certain amount of knowledge, especially the knowledge of men and things gained by experience.n. Human learning; knowledge of arts and sciences; erudition.n. With possessive pronouns used as a personification (like “your highness,” etc.).n. A wise saying or act; a wise thing.n. Skill; skilfulness.n. [In Scripture the word is sometimes specifically used, especially in Paul's Epistles, in an opprobrious sense to designate the theosophical speculations (1 Cor. i. 19, 20) or rhetorical arts (1 Cor. ii. 5) current among the Greeks and Romans in the first century; sometimes in a good sense to designate spiritual perception of, accompanied with obedience to, the divine law (Prov. iii. 13; Acts vi. 3). Sometimes (as in Prov. viii.) it has personal attributes assigned to it.]n. =Syn.1. Knowledge, Prudence, Wisdom., Discretion, Providence, Forecast, Provision. Knowledge has several steps, as the perception of facts, the accumulation of facts, and familiarity by experience, but it does not include action, nor the power of judging what is best in ends to be pursued or in means for attaining those ends. Prudence is sometimes the power of judging what are the best means for attaining desired ends; it may be a word or action, or it may be simply the power to avoid danger. It implies deliberation and care, whether in acting or refraining from action. Wisdom chooses not only the best means but also the best ends; it is thus far higher than prudence, which may by choosing wrong ends go altogether astray; hence also it is often used in the Bible for piety. As compared with knowledge, it sees more deeply into the heart of things and more broadly and comprehensively sums up relations, draws conclusions, and acts upon them; hence a man may abound in knowledge and be very deficient in wisdom, or he may have a practical wisdom with a comparatively small stock of knowledge. Discretion is the power to judge critically what is correct and proper, sometimes without suggesting action, but more often in view of action proposed or possible. Like prudence the word implies great caution, and takes for granted that a man will not act contrary to what he knows. Providence looks much further ahead than prudence or discretion, and plans and acts according to what it sees. It may be remarked that provision, which is from the same root as providence and prudence, is primarily a word of action, while they are only secondarily so. Forecast is a grave word for looking carefully forward to the consequences of present situations and decisions; it implies, like all these words except knowledge, that one will act according to what he can make out of the future. See cautious, astute, and genius.
