Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for know-how. Search instead for know+how.
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.

Pressure to shift toward AI may strip out the human know-how of today’s younger workers.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

The move comes as Zara is seeking to position itself further upmarket and broaden its appeal, bringing in Galliano’s know-how in haute couture-inspired artisanal collections and high fashion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 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

William Faulkner added his pilot’s know-how to the scenario, getting technical as he described exactly what Tania would have to do to make her plane turn and swoop and dive.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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.