Wis.
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Geography & Places, Texting & Internet Slang, Religion |
| Also written | WIS |
Wis. has three meanings. The most common are Wisconsin (US state traditional) and Wisdom (gaming slang); it can also stand for Wisdom of Solomon.
Meanings of Wis. at a glance
| # | Wis. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | Geography & Places › US State Traditional |
| 2 | Wisdom | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
| 3 | Wisdom of Solomon | Religion › Bible Book |
1. Wisconsin
Geography & Places · US State Traditional Abbreviations
Wisconsin's abbreviation in AP, GPO and Bluebook style, used in datelines (GREEN BAY, Wis.), party labels (D-Wis.) and citations of Wisconsin statutes (Wis. Stat.).
Example: GREEN BAY, Wis. — Fans lined up outside Lambeau Field before sunrise.
Wisc. is a widespread informal variant, but none of the major style guides uses it. The postal code WI was assigned in 1963. Milwaukee stands alone in AP datelines, while Madison takes Wis.
2. Wisdom (WIS)
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Ability score measuring perception, intuition and willpower in Dungeons & Dragons, used for perception and insight checks and as the spellcasting stat for clerics and druids.
Example: High WIS means our cleric spots every ambush before it happens.
A classic joke distinguishes the stats: INT is knowing a tomato is a fruit, while WIS is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. Wisdom saving throws resist many mind-affecting spells. Outside games, Wis. is the traditional AP-style abbreviation for Wisconsin.
3. Wisdom of Solomon
Religion · Bible Book Abbreviations
Deuterocanonical book of 19 chapters, written in Greek probably in Alexandria in the first century BC, presenting wisdom as a divine gift and teaching the immortality of the righteous: "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God" (3:1).
Example: Funeral liturgies often include Wis. 3:1–9.
SBL and Catholic Bibles use Wis. Although attributed to Solomon, it was written centuries after his death. Early Christian writers drew on its personification of Wisdom in describing Christ.
Related abbreviations
More US state traditional abbreviations
- Ala. – Alabama
- Ariz. – Arizona
- Ark. – Arkansas
- Cal. – California
- Calif. – California
- Colo. – Colorado
- Conn. – Connecticut
- Del. – Delaware
See all 36 US state traditional abbreviations →