knowing
Americanadjective
-
affecting, implying, or deliberately revealing shrewd knowledge of secret or private information.
a knowing glance.
- Synonyms:
- perceptive, eloquent, significant, meaningful
-
shrewd, sharp, or astute.
-
conscious; intentional; deliberate.
adjective
-
suggesting secret information or knowledge
-
wise, shrewd, or clever
-
deliberate; intentional
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of knowing
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English knawynge (earlier knowende, knawande ); equivalent to know 1 + -ing 2
Explanation
Something that's knowing is sneakily wise or perceptive. A knowing smile conveys a lot of information — it implies that you know a secret or are in on some background information. Picture Mona Lisa. A knowing glance tells its recipient that you've got them figured out or that you're aware of something they haven't shared with many people. You can use this adjective to simply mean "having knowledge" or "intentional" too, as when someone makes a knowing purchase of stolen goods. The noun version of knowing is also simple, meaning "the state of having knowledge or being aware."
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.
So the notion that some people will grow up and become others is a help, in the sense of knowing where we are in time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
You can’t figure out the impact of a Social Security reduction without first knowing where you are now — a step most people have not yet taken if they are not avid financial planners.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
You'll also feel more comfortable when you get there knowing that some of your mates are already on your side about not drinking.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Or they’ll cut their losses and support him, knowing that whoever’s next in line would probably be worse.
From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026
It crept into my thinking without my knowing it: the ghost glow.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
