know-how
Americannoun
noun
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ingenuity, aptitude, or skill; knack
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commercial and saleable knowledge of how to do a particular thing; experience
Etymology
Origin of know-how
1830–40, noun use of verb phrase know how
Explanation
Know-how is the knowledge and skill needed to complete a task. Mechanics have a lot of know-how when it comes to cars. This folksy word pretty much defines itself: when you have know-how, you know how to do something. People pick up know-how in many ways. In school, you can gain know-how, especially in classes that are very practical. The best way to get know-how is through experience. For example, teachers may learn about teaching in school, but they won't have a lot of know-how till they've spent a few years in front of a class of students.
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.
Fernandez adds big-game know-how to City's midfield after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, being named young player of the tournament, and helping his country to a second-straight final in July.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
"Only studies like ours offer an overview of these traditions which bear witness to genuine know-how and diverse traditions."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Huettl said the Leapmotor partnership would combine German industrial know-how with the Chinese company's software expertise "to create the best of both worlds".
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
They are drawn by the promise of a more flexible schedule, a conviction in their own operational know-how and a desire to avoid grunt work that ends up lining the pockets of others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But bombes were costly and time-consuming to run, and there were nowhere near enough of them, so British code breakers were also solving many Enigma messages—fully or in part—with pencil, paper, and know-how.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
