Meaning & use
common wisdom
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
What most people generally believe to be true or sensible, whether or not it has been tested.
Grammar: Used as a singular uncountable noun: common wisdom holds that...
Patterns
- common wisdom says that...
- according to common wisdom
Common wisdom says you should save a tenth of your income.
According to common wisdom, cold weather causes colds.
The study challenges the common wisdom about early mornings.
Common combinations
- common wisdom says
- Common wisdom says that breakfast is the key meal.
- challenge common wisdom
- The research challenges common wisdom.
- contrary to common wisdom
- Contrary to common wisdom, many experts disagree.
- defy common wisdom
- The company defied common wisdom and grew.
- common wisdom holds
- Common wisdom holds that bigger is better.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conventional wisdom
- Conventional wisdom is the more common phrase and suggests accepted ideas that may be outdated.
- popular belief
- Popular belief focuses on what many people think and not necessarily on practical advice.
- received wisdom
- Received wisdom is more literary and suggests ideas handed down without question.
- folk wisdom
- Folk wisdom suggests traditional sayings from ordinary people, often rural.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: common wisdom or common sense?
common wisdom vs common sense
Common sense is practical good judgment, whereas common wisdom is the belief most people share, which may be wrong.
Practice
___ says that you should wait an hour after eating before swimming, though research does not support this.
Choose one answer.
Common wisdom means widely held belief, possibly untested. Common sense is good judgment, and the other options do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “common wisdom”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.