knowledge
Americannoun
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acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.
knowledge of many things.
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familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.
A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
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acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.
a knowledge of human nature.
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the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
- Synonyms:
- scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding
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awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.
He had knowledge of her good fortune.
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something that is or may be known; information.
He sought knowledge of her activities.
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the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
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the sum of what is known.
Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
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Archaic. sexual intercourse.
adjective
idioms
noun
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the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people
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the state of knowing
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awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning
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erudition or informed learning
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specific information about a subject
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sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )
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to become known to one
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as I understand it
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as I know
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to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner
Synonym Usage
See information.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of knowledge
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English knouleche, equivalent to know(en) “to know” + -leche, perhaps akin to Old English -lāc suffix denoting action or practice, cognate with Old Norse (-)leikr; see know 1; cf. wedlock
Explanation
Why do you go to school? For knowledge, of course. To have knowledge means to know or be aware of things. Knowledge is understanding gained through learning or experience. You read a recipe to gain knowledge about baking rhubarb pie. When it burns in the oven, experience gives you the knowledge that you need to stop doing three things at once. Fields like biology, math, art, medicine, and others have huge bodies of knowledge. Knowledge can mean information and also deeper understanding. You can use this word as a disclaimer too, as in "To my knowledge, my sister walked the dog."
Vocabulary lists containing knowledge
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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"A Contest of Riddles"
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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.
Xi expressed his admiration for the Russian leader, calling him his “role model,” according to people with knowledge of the conversation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
That said, viewers with limited or zero knowledge of “Big Bang Theory” won’t feel lost watching “Stuart.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
"Every brain," says Folkerth, "is a treasure chest of new knowledge."
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
His decades in Washington gave him unmatched institutional knowledge and influence, but his health concerns also raised questions about whether political institutions have adequate ways to evaluate when leaders should step aside.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
I thought I had great knowledge of how everything in the woods worked.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
