Knowledge Definition & Meaning

  • American
  • British
  • More Idioms
  • Related Words
  • Other Word Forms
  • Etymology
  • Examples
  • Related Words
  • Synonyms knowledge American [nol-ij] / ˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

    noun

    1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.

      knowledge of many things.

    2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.

      A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.

    3. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.

      a knowledge of human nature.

    4. the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.

      Synonyms: scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding
    5. awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.

      He had knowledge of her good fortune.

    6. something that is or may be known; information.

      He sought knowledge of her activities.

    7. the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.

    8. the sum of what is known.

      Knowledge of the true situation is limited.

    9. Archaic. sexual intercourse.

    adjective

    1. creating, involving, using, or disseminating special knowledge or information.

      A computer expert can always find a good job in the knowledge industry.

    idioms

    1. to one's knowledge, according to the information available to one.

      To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.

    knowledge British / ˈnɒlɪdʒ /

    noun

    1. the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people

    2. the state of knowing

    3. awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning

    4. erudition or informed learning

    5. specific information about a subject

    6. sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )

    7. to become known to one

      1. as I understand it

      2. as I know

    8. to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 knowledge More Idioms
    1. see little knowledge is a dangerous thing; to the best of (one's knowledge).

    Related Words

    See information.

    Other Word Forms

    • knowledgeless adjective
    • preknowledge noun
    • superknowledge noun

    Etymology

    Origin of knowledge

    First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English knouleche, equivalent to know(en) “to know” + -leche, perhaps akin to Old English -lāc suffix denoting action or practice, cognate with Old Norse (-)leikr; know 1; wedlock

    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.

    Don’t Futurists emphasize the lack of knowledge and control we have over the future.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    A six-week course designed by the WSJ personal finance team to help you improve your knowledge of your finances, delivered to your email inbox.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    At the recent Fish and Game Commission meeting, Samantha Murray, commission vice president, described him as having a “steady, calm, like, sedate presence,” and hailed his long institutional knowledge.

    From Los Angeles Times

    Armed with all of this knowledge, I traveled down to Orlando and took on the challenge myself.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Cursor’s products make knowledge workers vastly more productive because they use proprietary custom data and model to achieve what appears to be an intuitive understanding of their needs.

    From Barron's

    Related Words

    • ability
    • awareness
    • education
    • expertise
    • familiarity
    • grasp
    • insight
    • intelligence
    • judgment
    • know-how
    • learning
    • observation
    • philosophy
    • power
    • proficiency
    • recognition
    • science
    • theory
    • wisdom

    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.

    Tag » Appropriate Knowledge Definition