knowing

[noh-ing]

adjective

1. affecting, implying, or deliberately revealing shrewd knowledge of secret or private information.

   a knowing glance.

   Synonyms: perceptive, eloquent, significant, meaningful

2. that knows; know; having knowledge or information; intelligent.

3. shrewd, sharp, or astute.

4. conscious; intentional; deliberate.

knowing

/ ˈnəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. suggesting secret information or knowledge

2. wise, shrewd, or clever

3. deliberate; intentional

noun

1. one cannot tell

Other Word Forms

• knowingly adverb
• knowingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of knowing¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English knawynge (earlier knowende, knawande ); equivalent to know ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Not knowing where to turn, Puech confided in a friend, a former French ambassador, who advised him to conduct an audit.

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"No reasonable consumer would purchase Defendant's shoes - or pay as much for them as they did - knowing each step creates an audible and noticeable squeak," the customers allege.

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The second is timing: Even if this turns out to be a bubble and is followed by a crash or a bear market, there is no way of knowing when the music will stop.

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So when you ask why people aren’t leaving despite saying they want to, you’re asking why heroin addicts don’t just quit despite knowing it’s killing them.

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They said he did this knowing that the Miami-based group either did not have the funds or had already pledged it to other lenders, and attempted to conceal this.

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Related Words

• insightful 
• intelligent 
• perceptive 
• sophisticated