wield
Americanverb (used with object)
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to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating.
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to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively.
- Synonyms:
- control, manipulate
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Archaic. to guide or direct.
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Archaic. to govern; manage.
verb
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to handle or use (a weapon, tool, etc)
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to exert or maintain (power or authority)
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obsolete to rule
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wieldsimple
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wieldssimple
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have wieldedperfect
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has wieldedperfect
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am wieldingprogressive
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are wieldingprogressive
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is wieldingprogressive
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have been wieldingperfect progressive
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has been wieldingperfect progressive
Past
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wieldedsimple
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had wieldedperfect
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was wieldingprogressive
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were wieldingprogressive
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had been wieldingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wield
First recorded before 900; Middle English welden, Old English wieldan “to control,” derivative of wealdan “to rule”; cognate with German walten, Old Norse valda, Gothic waldan; akin to Latin valēre “to be strong, prevail”
Explanation
If you wield a tool or a weapon, you handle it effectively. Picture a gallant knight wielding a sword or a skillful chef wielding a whisk. You don't just have to wield something physical; you can also wield or exert influence or authority. Wield is frequently followed by the word power. If you were a king, you could wield great power in your kingdom — exerting your influence over everything from food rations to castle upkeep. As it is, though, you might just wield power over your pet goldfish. Note: wield follows the i before e, except after c spelling rule.
Vocabulary lists containing wield
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some talk as though the population is ready to wield the pitchforks; that we are close to social breakdown; that a small spark could lead to a serious fire.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
A growing number of self-described creatives wield legal protections, legitimate and non, as a cudgel against others.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Roberts, a former White House lawyer, has long been skeptical of independent agencies whose officials may wield regulatory power in conflict with the views of the president.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Eliminating Wang’s network quietly clips whatever residual influence he might still wield.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
I threaded my baton through its ring on my belt, trying to imagine a scenario in which I might have to wield it.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
The network’s legal department now clearly wields a veto over its newsroom and primetime opinion stars.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Although the Akal Takht has no constitutional authority over elected governments, it wields immense religious influence among Sikhs.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The control he wields over his movies, which include the 2022 psychological creeper “Enys Men,” is in service of stories with a brittle, intentionally imperfect quality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Kim wields more agency than before and is determined to assert more autonomy during policy discussions with his Chinese guest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Silence might be a tool, but it doesn’t look like one he wields comfortably.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Cuellar identified the man who allegedly wielded the machete as Cornell Richardson, 32.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
We spent the next 15 minutes in that training discussing power — what it really meant during slavery and how it could be skillfully forged and wielded even by people in the grip of slavery.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
In sweltering heat at a fuel station, 24-year-old Tushar wielded a hammer as he fitted a Trump face cover to a three-wheeled rickshaw.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
During his stint as high representative, Paddy Ashdown memorably wielded these so-called "Bonn Powers" sacking 60 Bosnian-Serb officials in one day in 2004 for refusing to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
He appeared to be riding a chariot pulled by crawfish, and instead of a sword he wielded a live serpent.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
Clad in pink and purple and wielding a pink power drill, Liu Xingyun, founder of Shero, deftly took an air conditioner to bits when AFP accompanied her on a recent home visit.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Union leader Dave Regan has spent decades wielding California’s ballot system against the healthcare industry.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
A video widely circulated online showed a number of people, including one wielding a hurling stick, confronting the apparent attacker until the police arrived.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
A century ago, Rockefeller rode the wave of industrialization by building Standard Oil into a behemoth, wielding influence over railroads and pipelines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
He gripped the flashlight, wielding it like a short sword, ready to fight.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.