know
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty.
I know the situation fully.
-
to have established or fixed in the mind or memory.
to know a poem by heart; Do you know the way to the park from here?
-
to be cognizant or aware of.
I know it.
-
be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report.
to know the mayor.
-
to understand from experience or attainment (usually followed by how before an infinitive).
to know how to make gingerbread.
-
to be able to distinguish, as one from another.
to know right from wrong.
-
Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
verb (used without object)
-
to have knowledge or clear and certain perception, as of fact or truth.
-
to be cognizant or aware, as of some fact, circumstance, or occurrence; have information, as about something.
noun
idioms
-
know the ropes, to understand or be familiar with the particulars of a subject or business.
He knew the ropes better than anyone else in politics.
-
in the know, possessing inside, secret, or special information.
noun
verb
-
(also intr; may take a clause as object) to be or feel certain of the truth or accuracy of (a fact, etc)
-
to be acquainted or familiar with
she's known him five years
-
to have a familiarity or grasp of, as through study or experience
he knows French
-
(also intr; may take a clause as object) to understand, be aware of, or perceive (facts, etc)
he knows the answer now
-
(foll by how) to be sure or aware of (how to be or do something)
-
to experience, esp deeply
to know poverty
-
to be intelligent, informed, or sensible enough (to do something)
she knew not to go home yet
-
(may take a clause as object) to be able to distinguish or discriminate
-
archaic to have sexual intercourse with
-
I have an idea
-
to know how one thing or things in general work
-
informal a parenthetical filler phrase used to make a pause in speaking or add slight emphasis to a statement
-
things are uncertain
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say know? To know something is to perceive or understand it as fact or truth. When should you use this verb over understand or comprehend? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- knowable adjective
- knower noun
Etymology
Origin of know
First recorded before 900; Middle English knowen, knawen, Old English gecnāwan; cognate with Old High German -cnāhan, Old Norse knā “to know how, be able to”; akin to Greek gignṓskein, Latin (g)nōscere, Sanskrit jñātá “known”; can 1, gnostic
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.
By placing thin metal layers on both sides of the polymer, the researchers created structures known as Fabry-Pérot resonators, which select specific wavelengths of light.
From Science Daily
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have identified a surprising property in a class of materials known as perovskites that could pave the way for a new generation of light-controlled semiconductor devices.
From Science Daily
To address this issue, the team used a technique known as squeezing to reduce the natural thermal noise present in the phonon laser.
From Science Daily
Leigh syndrome belongs to a group of conditions known as mitochondriopathies, which involve problems with energy production in cells.
From Science Daily
This process is known as nanoscale heterogeneity, meaning that the composition changes depending on the exact location being studied.
From Science Daily
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.
