A keyword in criticism of English poetry up until the late eighteenth century which now tends to be coloured with the sense of the merely clever and humorous. In the Renaissance it meant 'intelligence' or 'wisdom'; in the seventeenth century it meant 'fancy' or 'agility of thought'; in the eighteenth century the ability to judge correctly.
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56 words
Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Wit". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1191, accessed 09 June 2026.]
