knowing

[ noh-ing ]

adjective

1. affecting, implying, or deliberately revealing shrewd knowledge of secret or private information:

   a knowing glance.

   Synonyms: perceptive, eloquent, significant, meaningful

2. that knows; know; having knowledge or information; intelligent.
3. shrewd, sharp, or astute.
4. conscious; intentional; deliberate.

knowing

/ ˈnəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. suggesting secret information or knowledge
2. wise, shrewd, or clever
3. deliberate; intentional

noun

1. there is no knowing
   one cannot tell

Derived Forms

• ˈknowingly, adverb
• ˈknowingness, noun

Other Words From

• knowing·ly adverb
• knowing·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of knowing¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English knawynge (earlier knowende, knawande ); equivalent to know ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Ultimately, they determined that K. pintolopesii is very common in wild mice, but also often present in lab mouse colonies without researchers knowing about its presence.

From Science Daily

The researchers stress the importance of knowing the risks of repeated head impacts and their potential to harm brain health over time.

From Science Daily

Famine has already been declared in one area - many others subsist on the brink of starvation not knowing where their next meal will come from.

From BBC

“Exxon and Mobil, through the Society for the Plastics Industry, created and promoted the chasing arrow symbol despite knowing that it was deceiving the public into thinking that all plastics are recyclable,” the complaint read.

From Los Angeles Times

She admitted she would invoke the production term “quantizing” during early interviews without knowing its meaning, and flashed a droll smile when asked what distinguishes her solo songs from the Chvrches catalog.

From New York Times

Related Words

• insightful
• intelligent
• perceptive
• sophisticated