Street-smart

adj.capable, resilientplayful

What it means

Skilled at reading practical risks, motives, and opportunities through real-world experience.

Reach for it when praising situational judgment learned outside formal instruction

The street-smart organizer chose a well-lit meeting point with two exits.

playful
hard-nosed
when unsentimental realism is truly intended
not when Hard-nosed often implies toughness that can crowd out empathy.
playful
savvy
when practical understanding within a domain is enough
not when Savvy covers any practical domain; street smarts specifically carry survival awareness.
everyday
practical
when suitability to real conditions is the plain praise
not when Practical judgment can come from training rather than street experience.
warm
resourceful
when making effective use of limited options is the talent
not when Resourcefulness solves problems but does not necessarily read social danger.
professional
astute
when sharp practical judgment deserves neutral wording
not when Astute sounds analytical and loses the learned-on-the-ground register.
formal
canny
when guarded awareness and strategic economy matter
not when Canny may imply self-protective calculation.
literary
worldly-wise
when experience has produced a realistic view of people
not when Worldly wisdom can become cynical and is not specifically practical.

street-smart approach
A street-smart approach paired local knowledge with the formal safety plan.
street-smart leader
The street-smart leader knew which informal promise would actually hold.
become street-smart
Travel helped him become street-smart without making him distrust everyone.

Street-smart is culturally and class-coded. Do not imply that urban hardship is glamorous or that formal knowledge is less valuable.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.