senno

wisdom

noun SEN-noh Rare

Also means

good sense

Usage Note

Senno most often appears in the fixed expression col senno di poi ('with hindsight', literally 'with the wisdom of afterwards'), which is its most frequent use in modern Italian. As a standalone noun meaning 'reason' or 'wisdom', it is literary and somewhat archaic. Do not confuse with seno (breast/sine).

Examples

"Col senno di poi, avrei scelto diversamente."

Natural Translation

With hindsight, I would have chosen differently.

Literal Translation

With the wisdom of afterwards, I-would-have chosen differently.

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