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unwisdom

unwisdom

8.6
Poor choice or action made without good sense
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈwɪzdəm/
translation icon : necedad
  • Both of these sets of references imply extreme unwisdom, injuriousness, or injustice in impeding or even interfering with its natural movement.

Examples

  • The unwisdom of ignoring the advice of experts can lead to costly mistakes.

  • Your arguments on the low cost of gas have shocked me into wanting to explore that area further, while this article has firmly convinced me of the unwisdom of pursuing renewable fuel answers at the expense of nuclear.

    Blog text (25)
  • "The Court concluded that the discretion required in foreign affairs discloses the unwisdom of requiring Congress in this field of government power to lay down narrowly defined standards by which the President is to be governed."

    Academic text (1990)
  • The handling of military sales, foreign aid, and Congress's embarrassing parsimony in regard to the UN debts are testimony to the occasional unwisdom of Congress in foreign affairs.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Or should we, instead, repudiate this ancient wisdom as unwisdom and turn instead to the prophetic option, the path of protest and refusal rather than the path of acquiescence and acceptance?

    Academic text (2000)
  • His decision to invest in such a risky venture was pure unwisdom.

  • Everyone can agree that her choice to quit her job without a backup plan was an act of unwisdom.

Synonyms

madness
vsunwisdom
112 4.6

A foolish action that shows poor judgment

is the general lack of wisdom rather than extreme or irrational acts
foolishness
vsunwisdom
61 2.7

A lack of good sense or careful thought that causes bad choices

also covers unwise acts as well as the general lack of wisdom
folly
vsunwisdom
59 7.3

A foolish action or a lack of good sense that causes trouble

is broader, applying to both the trait and single unwise actions
unwiseness
vsunwisdom
9.7

A lack of good judgment when making choices

is the identical idea but presented in a different written form

Antonyms

571 2.7

To use what you know and have learned to make good choices and give good advice

sagacity
  • Formal
1 8.7

Being very wise and good at making decisions

How Wise

sagacity
  • Formal
1 8.7
wisdom
571 2.7
prudence
18 6.1
unwisdom
8.6
foolishness
61 2.7

Surface Forms

unwisdom singular
unwisdoms plural

Morphology

unwisdom = wisdom (transparent) = un + wisdom

The meaning is a straightforward negative of 'wisdom' via the productive prefix 'un-'.

Etymology

The word unwisdom is made of un- meaning 'not' and wisdom meaning 'good judgment', which is the same root as the everyday word wise. So unwisdom means 'not having good sense' or 'a foolish action'.