knowing

American  

[noh-ing] / ˈnoʊ ɪŋ /

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; having knowledge or information; intelligent.

3. shrewd, sharp, or astute.

4. conscious; intentional; deliberate.

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knowing British  

/ ˈnəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. suggesting secret information or knowledge

2. wise, shrewd, or clever

3. deliberate; intentional

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noun

1. one cannot tell

Other Word Forms

• knowingly
  adverb
• knowingness
  noun

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

Knowing his history of branding and licensing his surname, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

"Knowing what's going to happen next can be incredibly comforting in a moment when you're in crisis," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Knowing approximately when to head home for the day could be guessed by examining nature—even by looking at a sheep’s pupils, which go from a rectangular slit to a wide orb as the light fades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"Knowing more about what existed gives us a sense of how big the fossil record is and how species change through time. And understanding the complexities of an ecosystem is important."

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Knowing that the badger was far more experienced than himself, Matthias assumed the role of second-in-command.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• insightful
• intelligent
• perceptive
• sophisticated