knowledge
Americannoun
-
knowledge
plural
-
acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.
knowledge of many things.
-
familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.
A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
-
acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.
a knowledge of human nature.
-
the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
- Synonyms:
- scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding
-
awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.
He had knowledge of her good fortune.
-
something that is or may be known; information.
He sought knowledge of her activities.
-
the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
-
the sum of what is known.
Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
-
Archaic. sexual intercourse.
adjective
idioms
noun
-
the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people
-
the state of knowing
-
awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning
-
erudition or informed learning
-
specific information about a subject
-
sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )
-
to become known to one
-
-
as I understand it
-
as I know
-
-
to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner
Synonym Usage
See information.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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; see know 1; cf. wedlock
Explanation
Why do you go to school? For knowledge, of course. To have knowledge means to know or be aware of things. Knowledge is understanding gained through learning or experience. You read a recipe to gain knowledge about baking rhubarb pie. When it burns in the oven, experience gives you the knowledge that you need to stop doing three things at once. Fields like biology, math, art, medicine, and others have huge bodies of knowledge. Knowledge can mean information and also deeper understanding. You can use this word as a disclaimer too, as in "To my knowledge, my sister walked the dog."
Vocabulary lists containing knowledge
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
President Obama's second inaugural address
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"A Contest of Riddles"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Amazon officials allegedly tracked the “surcharge” earned from these policies and tried to limit outside knowledge of these practices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
The similarities could allow scientists to use knowledge already gained from human research to improve canine health, while also using dogs to study how aging develops across an entire lifespan.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
The deeper concern, she added, "is not the short-term brain drain", but "the possibility that the US could become less attractive as a place to pursue knowledge".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
After riding atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope promises to vastly expand our knowledge of planets beyond our solar system and advance the search for elusive “Earth twins.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Without her knowledge, Don Quixote pronounced her his "lady" and called her Dulcinea del Tobosa.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.
