known
Americanverb
noun
verb
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of known
First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective
Explanation
Something known is something people are aware of or know about. Don’t ask a known thief to walk your dog while you’re out of town, especially if she is known as the “Poodle Poacher.” When you know something, it’s in your memory and awareness. When something is known, you know it! Technically, known is the past participle of know. Cigarettes are known to cause cancer. Martin Luther King is known as a hero to Americans. Cassius Clay is known as Muhammad Ali. If you stay out late and get in trouble, you should’ve known better. Something known is established, and people don't have reason to doubt it.
Vocabulary lists containing known
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.
Known as Cave 338, the site lies in the Freser Valley.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
Known as RAINN, it’s the largest survivor advocacy nonprofit in the nation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Known for its Claude models, Anthropic went viral late last year when coders and hobbyists began trying out an updated model together with an autonomous coding tool called Claude Code.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Known for her big serve and precise hitting, reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina committed 71 unforced errors and landed just 53% of her first serves.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Known as Wally, she was a flight instructor at Fort Sill, an army base in southwestern Oklahoma, when she picked up the Life magazine featuring Jerrie Cobb.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
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.
