Dictionary

wield en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• wēld
• (US) audio
• /wiːld/

Etymology

From Middle English welden, from the merger of Old English wealdan (“to control, rule”) (strong class 7) and Old English wieldan (“to control, subdue”) (weak). Both verbs derive from Proto-West Germanic *waldan and *waldijan, respectively; and are ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to rule”). The reason for the merger was that in Middle English the -d in the stem made it hard to distinguish between strong and weak forms in the past tense.

Meanings

1. To handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
2. To exercise (authority or influence) effectively.
   • The question isn't whether AI will reshape human society—it's whether its engineers will wield that power thoughtfully. 2025 August 27, Dana Suskind, “AI Engineers Need Their Own Hippocratic Oath. Here’s What It Should Say”, in TIME, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2025:
3. (obsolete) To command, rule over; to possess or own.
   • There was never kyng sauff myselff that welded evir such knyghtes. There was never a king other than myself who ever commanded such knights. Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur Book 5.Chapter 7
4. (obsolete) To control, to guide or manage.
   • With such his chearefull speaches he doth wield / Her mind so well, that to his will she bends[…]. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
5. (obsolete) To carry out, to bring about.
   • All is weill done, God wate, weild he hys will. a. 1513, Virgil, “VIII, prologue”, in Gawin Douglas [i.e., Gavin Douglas], transl., edited by [George Dundas], The Æneid of Virgil: Translated into Scottish Verse (Bannatyne Club, Publications; 64, no. 1), volume I, Edinburgh: T. Constable, printer, published 1839, →OCLC, page 448, line 1:

Forms

Deriveds

wieldsome · wieldy · bewield · dual wield

Translations (88)

hu forgat (to handle or use a weapon) · et valdama (to exercise authority or influence) · bg упражнявам контрол (to exercise authority or influence) · it brandire (to handle or use a weapon) · es manejar (to handle with skill and ease) · ca manipular (to handle with skill and ease) · ga láimhsigh (to handle or use a weapon) · cs ovládat (to handle with skill and ease) · oc manejar (to handle or use a weapon) · ja 使いこなす (to handle with skill and ease) · et valdama (to handle with skill and ease) · fi käsitellä (to handle or use a weapon) · ca exercir (to exercise authority or influence) · ang wealdan (to handle with skill and ease) · ca fer anar (to handle or use a weapon) · it maneggiare (to handle with skill and ease) · de ausüben (to exercise authority or influence) · bg боравя (to handle or use a weapon) · sh vlastovati (to exercise authority or influence) · cmn 運用 /运用 (to handle with skill and ease) · nl uitoefenen (to exercise authority or influence) · ca manejar (to handle with skill and ease) · ga oibrigh (to handle with skill and ease) · et valitsema (to exercise authority or influence) · ang wealdan (to exercise authority or influence) · it padroneggiare (to handle with skill and ease) · ru вла́ствовать (to exercise authority or influence) · cs zvládat (to handle with skill and ease) · fi hallita (to handle with skill and ease) · pl władać (to handle or use a weapon) · sh vladati (to handle with skill and ease) · fr manier (to handle with skill and ease) · ga feidhmigh (to exercise authority or influence) · hu kezel (to handle with skill and ease) · ru ору́довать (to handle with skill and ease) · ru облада́ть (to exercise authority or influence) · nl hanteren (to handle or use a weapon) · pt manusear (to handle with skill and ease) · et oskama (to handle or use a weapon) · el χειρίζομαι (to handle with skill and ease) · mi whakarere (to handle or use a weapon) · et haldama (to exercise authority or influence) · pl władać (to handle with skill and ease) · is beita (to handle with skill and ease) · oc mestrejar (to handle with skill and ease) · oc brandir (to handle or use a weapon) · fr exercer (to exercise authority or influence) · oc manejar (to handle with skill and ease) · cs zvládnout (to handle with skill and ease) · pt manusear (to handle or use a weapon) · de führen (to handle or use a weapon) · pl sprawować (to exercise authority or influence) · pl władać (to exercise authority or influence) · fi hallita (to exercise authority or influence) · cs třímat (to handle or use a weapon) · nl beheersen (to handle with skill and ease) · pl dzierżyć (to handle or use a weapon) · hu gyakorol (to exercise authority or influence) · fr brandir (to handle or use a weapon) · sv hantera (to handle with skill and ease) · cs mávat (to handle or use a weapon) · sh rukovati (to handle or use a weapon) · cmn 使用 (to handle with skill and ease) · sv svinga (to handle with skill and ease) · cy trin (to handle or use a weapon) · mi mau (to handle or use a weapon) · oc gaubejar (to handle with skill and ease) · et valdama (to handle or use a weapon) · ru владе́ть (to handle with skill and ease) · et valitsema (to handle with skill and ease) · sh vitlati (to handle or use a weapon) · mi mau (to handle with skill and ease) · et käsitlema (to handle or use a weapon) · de beherrschen (to handle with skill and ease) · es empuñar (to handle or use a weapon) · et oskama (to handle with skill and ease) · cmn 行使 (to exercise authority or influence) · pt exercer (to exercise authority or influence) · bg владея (to handle with skill and ease) · ar مَارَسَ (to exercise authority or influence) · pt brandir (to handle or use a weapon) · cs ohánět se (to handle or use a weapon) · es esgrimir (to handle or use a weapon) · fi käyttää (to handle or use a weapon) · pt empunhar (to handle or use a weapon) · sh vladati (to exercise authority or influence) · cs držet (to handle or use a weapon) · oc exercir (to exercise authority or influence)

wield en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• wēld
• (US) audio
• /wiːld/

Etymology

From Middle English welde, from Old English *wield, ġewield (“power, control, dominion”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldi, from Proto-Germanic *waldiz (“power, might, control”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Rule, command; power, control, wielding.
   • What boots it if I beat the heathen home, And fold the mountains in my wield, and fire […] 1872, George Francis Savage-Armstrong, The tragedy of Israel, volume 2, page 64:
   • “Trust me, I will make them listen,” he hissed and for the first time, he used his wield fallaciously, because instead of giving life, he absorbed it from the tree. 2019, Lele Iturrioz, Summer:
   • All wealth in my wield is, I know by my wit […] 1968, John Allen, Masters of British Drama, page 32:
   • […] telling him of the treasures concealed in the cave, of the mysterious ring and tarnhelmet, possessing which he can hold the wield of the world. 1887, Richard Wagner, Siegfried:

Forms