-wise

See also: wise, Wise, and WISE

English

From Middle English -wis, from Old English -wīs (“-wise”), from Proto-West Germanic *-wīs, from Proto-Germanic *-wīsaz, from Proto-Germanic *wīsaz (“wise, skilled, knowledgeable”), related to Old English wīs, wīse (“manner, way, fashion”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian -wiese, Dutch -wijs, German -weise, Danish -vis, Swedish -vis, Norwegian Bokmål -vis (“-wise”). More at wise (“way, manner”).

-wise

In the direction or orientation of.
The gaoler slowly turned the key clockwise.
In the manner of.
You need to follow the instructions carefully; otherwise, the project may not turn out.

Contrariwise, it could be a good idea.
In the matter of; with regard to.
This morning looks promising, weather-wise.
- 1919, Saki, “The Penance”, in The Toys of Peace, page 423:
  They had parents in India—that much Octavian had learned in the neighbourhood; the children, beyond grouping themselves garment-wise into sexes, a girl and two boys, carried their life-story no further on his behoof.
- 1958, “Come Fly With Me”, performed by Frank Sinatra:
  Weather-wise, it's such a lovely day
One at a time, or one thing at a time.
Add the reagent dropwise to the solution.

The suffix -wise is particularly productive in Indian English. See for example classwise, datewise, subjectwise.

in the direction or orientation of

in the manner of

in the matter of, with regard to

one (thing) at a time

From wīse (“manner, way, condition, direction”).

-wīse

(noun suffix) state of, manner of, condition; direction
‎riht (“just, right”) ‎-wīse → ‎rihtwīse (“righteousness, justice”)

‎cniht (“boy, youth”) ‎-wīse → ‎cnihtwīse (“boyishness”)

‎cyne- (“public, nation, kindred”) ‎-wīse → ‎cynewīse (“commonweath, state”)

‎lēoþ (“song, tune, poem”) ‎-wīse → ‎lēoþwīse (“poetry, verse”)

‎bēag (“ring, hoop, circle”) ‎-wīse → ‎bēagwīse (“sphere, circular form”)
(noun suffix) the custom or fashion of
‎mynster (“minister”) ‎-wīse → ‎mynsterwīse (“monastic custom”)

‎fierd (“militia”) ‎-wīse → ‎fierdwīse (“military style”)
(adverbial suffix) in the manner or fashion of; in the direction of
‎hyse (“son, youth”) ‎-wīse → ‎hysewīse (“like a young man”)

Weak: