as in sophisticated
having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience
her long career as a globe-trotting journalist has made her very worldly-wise
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Recent Examples of worldly-wise
Crucially, they are grounded in real-world experiences, from a recent exchange with worldly-wise restaurant waitresses in Bordeaux exemplifying trust and collaboration, to the coaching of top CEOs over the past 20 years.
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Hec Paris Insights, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Heather Alicia Simms and Vanessa Bell Calloway are both sharp, witty, and poignant without sentimentality as the play’s two matriarchal figures, the formidable Missy Judson and Idella Landy, the wry, worldly-wise housekeeper who essentially raised Charlie.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Parroni does a good job of balancing the way that adolescents veer from experimenting with a worldly-wise cynicism and dipping back into the wildness of childhood.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worldly-wise
Adjective
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Similar to Hudson’s, my find from Nordstrom has a sophisticated mock-neck top and long pants.—
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Pinabel described the gourmand scent, created by Givaudan perfumers Nisrine Bouazzaoui Grillié and Nadège Le Garlantezec, as chic, elegant and sophisticated.—
Adjective
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The Democratic Socialist's speech was peppered with an array of cosmopolitan references.—
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Xi’s predecessor Jiang Zemin, who served as president between 1993 and 2003, was known for his flamboyant personality, cosmopolitan flair and willingness to show off his language skills and interact with journalists.—
Adjective
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Farther east, the Czech Republic, including the pretty UNESCO spa town of Karlovy Vary, is highlighted, as is the vibrant Polish city of Wroclaw and the 18 Michelin Guide restaurants to be found in the other-worldly landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey.—
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While in prison for blasphemy, Lee had a risqué vision of Adam and Eve, and concluded that celibacy was the cure for worldly temptation.—
Cite this Entry
“Worldly-wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worldly-wise. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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