knowledge

American

[nol-ij] / ˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

noun

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

knowledge of many things.
familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning.

A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.

a knowledge of human nature.
the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.

Synonyms:

scholarship, erudition, comprehension, discernment, understanding
awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.

He had knowledge of her good fortune.
something that is or may be known; information.

He sought knowledge of her activities.
the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
the sum of what is known.

Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
Archaic. sexual intercourse.

adjective

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

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

idioms

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

To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.

knowledge British

/ ˈnɒlɪdʒ /

noun

the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people
the state of knowing
awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning
erudition or informed learning
specific information about a subject
sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge )
to become known to one
1. as I understand it
2. as I know
to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

knowledge More Idioms

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

Related Words

See information.

Other Word Forms

knowledgeless adjective
preknowledge noun
superknowledge noun

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; know ¹; wedlock

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.

“It’s a lot of knowledge workers doing similar tasks with data, an unbelievable distribution network” that reaches institutional investors around the globe.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

One of them is a title so generic, so blandly inoffensive yet simultaneously indicative of hope, resolve, or insider knowledge as to be, ultimately, unmemorable.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

In distilling five decades of streetwear history, Mr. Watamanuk promises “a narrative that could be followed without an encyclopedic knowledge of all the obscure references.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

What’s most concerning is the use of actual residents’ identities — without their knowledge or consent — to oppose life-saving clean air standards.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

“You literally just said he’s spying on you, Ingrid. Twice. Obviously he saw all your longing looks toward Miss Joy’s cart, so at least he’s using his ill-gotten knowledge for good.”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023