knowledge

[ nol-ij ]

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. Compare carnal knowledge.

adjective

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

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

knowledge

/ 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. come to one's knowledge
   to become known to one
8. to my knowledge
   1. as I understand it
   2. as I know
9. grow out of one's knowledge
   to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner

Other Words From

• knowledge·less adjective
• pre·knowledge noun
• super·knowledge noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of knowledge¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

   To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.

More idioms and phrases containing knowledge

see little knowledge is a dangerous thing ; to the best of (one's knowledge) .

Synonym Study

See information.

Example Sentences

Gelinas is a senior IT group manager, holding the rank of director, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

From Fortune

We have evolution to thank for shielding us from complete self-knowledge.

From Nautilus

To complement Wikipedia’s systems, we’ve added additional protections and detection systems to prevent potentially inaccurate information from appearing in knowledge panels.

From Search Engine Land

At the very least, children learn language through a rather different process, mapping words to concepts that embed knowledge acquired not only through reading text, but also crucially through perceiving and exploring the world.

From Nautilus

It would be nice not to have to go to these lengths to explain our moral knowledge.

From Nautilus

The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents.

From The Daily Beast

My trip takes the reverse path, and I begin by assessing the depth of my Shakespeare knowledge in his birthplace.

From The Daily Beast

Be reliable supports of the Songun revolution possessed of a lofty spirit and rich knowledge!

From The Daily Beast

“To my knowledge, there was no formal consultation done with the tribes on this policy,” says Eid.

From The Daily Beast

In his 2010 evaluation, Wright was praised for “excellent knowledge of RRC rules, regulations and policies.”

From The Daily Beast

His also was the intellectual point of view, and the intellectual interest in knowledge and its deductions.

From Project Gutenberg

But it seems to me that with adolescence comes the right to knowledge and the right of judgment.

From Project Gutenberg

Without the former quality, knowledge of the past is uninstructive; without the latter, it is deceptive.

From Project Gutenberg

To be so humbled in the knowledge of any living being, was the vultures of Prometheus to the proud heart of Ripperda.

From Project Gutenberg

All that has been given concerning the knowledge of angels relates to what they know through their own natures as created.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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