knowing

American  

[noh-ing] / ˈnoʊ ɪŋ /

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.

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knowing British  

/ ˈnəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. suggesting secret information or knowledge

2. wise, shrewd, or clever

3. deliberate; intentional

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noun

1. one cannot tell

Other Word Forms

• knowingly adverb
• knowingness noun

Etymology

Origin of knowing

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

Example Sentences

Marc says: "He's as much of a mystery today as he was 30 years ago. He must look back at his life knowing it made no sense at all."

From BBC

One goes to see a show like “Wonder”—as with “Dear Evan Hansen”—to cheer for the underdog, well knowing that, cheers or no, he’s going to be OK.

From The Wall Street Journal

Caring for both and knowing such diseases run in her family, aging’s toll is always on her mind.

From The Wall Street Journal

I concentrated on knowing the long-term history and tried to ignore short-term noise.

From Barron's

Another passenger described feeling a "rollercoaster of emotions" for hours, not knowing whether the train he was on would be able to continue across the Channel or return to London.

From BBC

Related Words

• insightful
• intelligent
• perceptive
• sophisticated