unwise

adjective

un·​wise ˌən-ˈwīz How to pronounce unwise (audio)
: lacking wisdom or good sense : foolish, imprudent
unwisely adverb

Examples of unwise in a Sentence

It would be unwise to buy a house now. made the unwise decision to invest in a brand-new company
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Betting against Crosby to make it back seems unwise. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Operating a business without a firewall or two-factor authentication to protect digital assets is simply unwise. Hod Fleishman, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 The board amended a resolution to meet the parents’ demands despite financial warnings that doing so would be unwise. Ikram Mohamed, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025 But using this approach in peacetime is altogether different and strategically unwise. Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unwise

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwise was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwise. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

unwise

adjective
un·​wise ˌən-ˈwīz How to pronounce unwise (audio)
ˈən-
: not wise : foolish
unwisely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unwise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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