know
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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knows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
knew,
past
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known,
past participle
-
knowing
present participle
-
to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty.
I know the situation fully.
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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?
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to be cognizant or aware of.
I know it.
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be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report.
to know the mayor.
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to understand from experience or attainment (usually followed by how before an infinitive).
to know how to make gingerbread.
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to be able to distinguish, as one from another.
to know right from wrong.
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Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
verb (used without object)
-
knows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
knew,
past
-
known,
past participle
-
knowing
present participle
-
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
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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.
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in the know, possessing inside, secret, or special information.
noun
verb
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(also intr; may take a clause as object) to be or feel certain of the truth or accuracy of (a fact, etc)
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to be acquainted or familiar with
she's known him five years
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to have a familiarity or grasp of, as through study or experience
he knows French
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(also intr; may take a clause as object) to understand, be aware of, or perceive (facts, etc)
he knows the answer now
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(foll by how) to be sure or aware of (how to be or do something)
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to experience, esp deeply
to know poverty
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to be intelligent, informed, or sensible enough (to do something)
she knew not to go home yet
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(may take a clause as object) to be able to distinguish or discriminate
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archaic to have sexual intercourse with
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I have an idea
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to know how one thing or things in general work
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informal a parenthetical filler phrase used to make a pause in speaking or add slight emphasis to a statement
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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knowsimple
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knowssimple
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have knownperfect
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has knownperfect
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am knowingprogressive
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are knowingprogressive
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is knowingprogressive
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have been knowingperfect progressive
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has been knowingperfect progressive
Past
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knewsimple
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had knownperfect
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was knowingprogressive
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were knowingprogressive
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had been knowingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see also can 1, gnostic
Explanation
To know something means to have a piece of information or a certain understanding of something. If someone tells you their phone number and you remember it, you know. There's a reason you can find the word know in the word knowledge — to know is to have knowledge about something, to be familiar with an idea, or to recognize someone. If you're "in the know," you have information that is only known to a select group of people. But be careful — to know someone in the Biblical sense means that you're having sexual relations with them.
Vocabulary lists containing know
Words from "Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster" by Debra Frasier
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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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.
See Examples For:
"Connection and laughter and joy are bigger than this game - and to meet someone and just play and laugh, it's all us humans need, you know?" she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
I know one family in which the matriarch left a Colorado ski house to her four children, now in their 70s, with rules intended to keep the home in the family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I bet there’s a lot of people considering it that you don’t know about. You have a lot of people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
"She was crying a lot, but we didn't know what had happened" at that point, the person told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
What doctors don't know in 1848, strep and staph do: that the broken head of Phineas is an ideal location to land.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Carrick knows the importance of ending that sequence in terms of easing the pressure on his own future.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Plus, the race to fill next summer’s $50,000 internships and why rogue pilots are the safety threat that no one knows how to stop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“It’s a day of nonpartisan voter participation, being in community with each other, and making sure every eligible voter has a plan, knows their options, and is ready to make their voice count.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
“No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow and the ensuing days,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
When I get home, everyone knows what happened at school.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He told jurors: "I wasn't an international assassin. I thought people had this impression and expected me to be this guy. I knew I wasn't."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"The results are somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn't need the bar in China," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
But they knew they wanted an actor who could be, at once, charming and scary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The study used a double blind design, meaning neither the participants nor the experimenter knew which substance had been administered during a particular session.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
If you were Indian, you knew all about Sandy June’s, eventually—and if you’re Indian from around here, how to find the Bench Tree opening, a nearly invisible entrance.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It is the clearest example of what is known as the China Shock Two.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The nature of the allegations or how these two journalistic sources relate to them is not known.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
That provision would curtail a longstanding practice of leaving work early known as an “early shove,” the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
On Friday, streets were quiet in Bend, an area known for its natural beauty, with hiking trails and ski slopes nearby that attract tens of thousands of visitors every year.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Just a direct gaze like he’s always known where he’s going. Doesn’t doubt himself.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
No one understands their audience better than she does, knowing comedy relies as much on observation as on good, old-fashioned slapstick.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
And knowing this tool can be restricted without any warning or consultation has sparked major concern in Ukraine.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Professor James Arvanitakis, Director of the Forrest Research Foundation, said the discovery highlights the importance of supporting early-career scientists who pursue ambitious questions without knowing in advance where the answers will lead.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The veteran infielder stood by his locker at Dodger Stadium, his eyes red and watery, his uniform covered in dirt, knowing that when he pulled them off, it would be for the last time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“But am I supposed to go somewhere? Or will someone reach out to me? How will I know how to—I’m sorry, I just—” I faltered, knowing that my stoic facade had completely crumbled.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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