worldly-wise en · ADJ
Etymology
Compare the synonym worldwise, which has cognates in various West-Germanic languages.
Meanings
-
Experienced in the ways of the world; sophisticated and cosmopolitan.
I had a natural African American impulse to let this worldlywise middle-aged black woman's maternalism wash over me. And as a post-civil rights African American, I assumed that it was a white audience's job to follow suit.
2014 May 28, John McWhorter, “Saint Maya”, in The New Republic, →ISSN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| worldly wise | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most worldly-wise | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more worldly-wise | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| worldlywise | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (8)
pl wyrobiony (experienced in the ways of the world) · de weltklug (experienced in the ways of the world) · sv erfaren (experienced in the ways of the world) · nl wereldwijs (experienced in the ways of the world) · sv världsvan (experienced in the ways of the world) · ru быва́лый (experienced in the ways of the world) · az dünyagörmüş (experienced in the ways of the world) · sv världsklok (experienced in the ways of the world)