Showing results for "knowing"

• present participle of know.

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; having knowledge or information; intelligent.

3. shrewd, sharp, or astute.

4. conscious; intentional; deliberate.

---

knowing British  

/ ˈnəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. suggesting secret information or knowledge

2. wise, shrewd, or clever

3. deliberate; intentional

---

noun

1. one cannot tell

Other Word Forms

• knowingness
  noun
• knowingly
  adverb

---

Etymology

Origin of knowing

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

---

Explanation

Something that's knowing is sneakily wise or perceptive. A knowing smile conveys a lot of information — it implies that you know a secret or are in on some background information. Picture Mona Lisa. A knowing glance tells its recipient that you've got them figured out or that you're aware of something they haven't shared with many people. You can use this adjective to simply mean "having knowledge" or "intentional" too, as when someone makes a knowing purchase of stolen goods. The noun version of knowing is also simple, meaning "the state of having knowledge or being aware."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

knowing

Just as fiercely loyal as Amanda, Martin vainly advocates for his beloved, knowing that Amanda has power of attorney and, therefore, the upper hand.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Without knowing which gene produced the enzyme, scientists could not easily manipulate it in experiments or determine how problems with its activity might contribute to disease.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

"It's sort of a different type of atmosphere than you get over in Australia so to have that confidence of knowing we've done it before is definitely good."

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

In the early 1970s, the rock manager Shep Gordon schemed up ways to infuriate moms and dads, knowing it would make his client Alice Cooper look that much cooler to their children.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

But then I realize there are dozens of things that would make his dad even prouder than knowing Jonah’s name is on that plaque.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• insightful
• intelligent
• perceptive
• sophisticated

---