knowledge
Americannoun
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acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.
knowledge of many things.
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familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.
A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
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acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.
a knowledge of human nature.
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the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
- Synonyms:
- scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding
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awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.
He had knowledge of her good fortune.
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something that is or may be known; information.
He sought knowledge of her activities.
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the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
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the sum of what is known.
Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
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Archaic. sexual intercourse.
adjective
idioms
noun
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the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people
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the state of knowing
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awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning
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erudition or informed learning
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specific information about a subject
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sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )
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to become known to one
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as I understand it
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as I know
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to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner
Synonym Usage
See information.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of knowledge
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; see know 1; cf. wedlock
Explanation
Why do you go to school? For knowledge, of course. To have knowledge means to know or be aware of things. Knowledge is understanding gained through learning or experience. You read a recipe to gain knowledge about baking rhubarb pie. When it burns in the oven, experience gives you the knowledge that you need to stop doing three things at once. Fields like biology, math, art, medicine, and others have huge bodies of knowledge. Knowledge can mean information and also deeper understanding. You can use this word as a disclaimer too, as in "To my knowledge, my sister walked the dog."
Vocabulary lists containing knowledge
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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"A Contest of Riddles"
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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.
But the word "expected" is key, says Sebastian O'Kelly from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, as freeholders are likely to challenge the legislation in court.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Knowledge of current events, geography, and simple concepts like the law of supply and demand have been crowded out by willed ignorance and motivated reasoning.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
“If you want to age in place, it’s important to remember the home keeps aging too,” says Carroll Golden, executive director of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ Knowledge Centers.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Knowledge of their relationship is "limited", according to Asia Society's Neil Thomas, who studies elite Chinese politics.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Erudite is the coldest of the five Knowledge is a costly thing....
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
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.
