Wield

How to spell wield

5 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce wield

What does wield mean?

1. verbTo hold and use a tool or weapon with skill, or to exercise power, influence, or authority.

Wield in a sentence

• The carpenter could wield a chisel with remarkable precision.

• A senior editor can wield enormous influence over which stories run.

Where does wield come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word descends from the Old English verb wealdan, later wieldan, which meant 'to govern, to rule, or to have power over'. It belongs to a broad Germanic family, with relatives in Old High German waltan and modern German walten, all carrying the sense of exercising control or authority. The earliest meaning was largely about ruling or holding sway, and only later did the everyday image narrow toward physically handling something, especially a weapon or tool. By Middle English the spelling and sense had shifted so that to wield a sword meant to hold and manage it with skill, while the older idea of wielding power survived as a figurative use. The 'ie' spelling neatly follows the familiar 'i before e' pattern, which is the small anchor a writer can lean on here, since the word is pronounced with a long 'ee' sound that tempts some people to reverse the vowels.

How the word is built

• wield (from Old English wealdan: to govern, control, command)

Words that sound like wield

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• wheeled: Moved something along on wheels, or turned sharply as if pivoting on a point.