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Synonyms

know-how

American  
[noh-hou] / ˈnoʊˌhaʊ /

noun

  1. knowledge of how to do something; faculty or skill for a particular activity; expertise.

    Designing a computer requires a lot of know-how.
know-how British  

noun

  1. ingenuity, aptitude, or skill; knack

  2. commercial and saleable knowledge of how to do a particular thing; experience

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of know-how

1830–40, noun use of verb phrase know how

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.

Now, May’s mid-major know-how is boosted by a power-conference payroll: Wolverines general manager Kyle Church puts the team’s total outlay for its roster at roughly $10 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

She sees her straight talk and government know-how as assets once voters focus.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Moreover, the conflict is becoming more drawn out, and even if it subsides there is a risk of an instable resolution where Iranian nuclear material and know-how leaks out to hostile groups around the Gulf.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

However, most of them didn't want to take part in her research - she believed they did not want to reveal their activities or commercial know-how to strangers.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

I wouldn't have had the know-how to be a butler in those days.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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.