knowledge

American  

[nol-ij] / ˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

noun

1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.

   knowledge of many things.

2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.

   A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.

3. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.

   a knowledge of human nature.

4. the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.

   Synonyms:

   scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding

5. awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.

   He had knowledge of her good fortune.

6. something that is or may be known; information.

   He sought knowledge of her activities.

7. the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.

8. the sum of what is known.

   Knowledge of the true situation is limited.

9. Archaic. sexual intercourse.

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adjective

1. creating, involving, using, or disseminating special knowledge or information.

   A computer expert can always find a good job in the knowledge industry.

idioms

1. to one's knowledge, according to the information available to one.

   To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.

knowledge British  

/ ˈnɒlɪdʒ /

noun

1. the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people

2. the state of knowing

3. awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning

4. erudition or informed learning

5. specific information about a subject

6. sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )

7. to become known to one

8. 1. as I understand it

   2. as I know

9. to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner

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knowledge More Idioms  

1. see little knowledge is a dangerous thing; to the best of (one's knowledge).

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Synonym Usage

See information.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preknowledge
  noun
• superknowledge
  noun
• knowledgeless
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

"I mean sometimes I doubt whether I've really got it. I don't know if it's widespread knowledge," he told his friend, broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Put your comfort, knowledge and peace of mind on one scale, and your $80,000 on another.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Test your knowledge of the week’s events with The Wall Street Journal News Quiz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Accenture simply has the supply needed and the knowledge and customer relationships it has built since its founding in 1989 to serve its thousands of global customers across the majority of sectors.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Coins also add to our knowledge of the physical appearance and style of a certain place through engravings of landmarks and structures that often appear on them.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• ability
• awareness
• education
• expertise
• familiarity
• grasp
• insight
• intelligence
• judgment
• know-how
• learning
• observation
• philosophy
• power
• proficiency
• recognition
• science
• theory
• wisdom