knowledgeable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- knowledgeability noun
- knowledgeableness noun
- knowledgeably adverb
- nonknowledgeable adjective
- quasi-knowledgeable adjective
- quasi-knowledgeably adverb
- unknowledgeable adjective
Etymology
Origin of knowledgeable
Explanation
Someone who is knowledgeable is highly educated and well versed in a particular subject. Making it your life goal to become knowledgeable about naked mole rats might not win you the Nobel Prize, but it might be fun. It’s interesting to note the shift in meaning of the adjective knowledgeable from when it was first recorded in the 1600s and now. Originally, knowledgeable was spelled without the second -e, and meant “capable of being known, recognizable.” Now, though, we use the adjective to describe that which has or displays knowledge. If you're well-read and alert, you're knowledgeable about the ways of the world.
Vocabulary lists containing knowledgeable
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Words to Describe a Teacher
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Employment, List 3
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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.
For the rest of us, a world without this unusual, determined and deeply knowledgeable man will take some getting used to.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
“A lot of the data-acquisition strategies seem to be moving towards more specialist sources,” he said, pointing to those who are “extremely knowledgeable and have executed complex tasks in finance, healthcare, law, the sciences.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
The sales process is expected to stretch into summer, the knowledgeable people said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Most spoke on condition of anonymity because they fear retribution, including those knowledgeable about the December 2020 Barr meeting.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
It’s things like how sociable they are, or how energetic or knowledgeable or influential among their peers.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
