knowledgeable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of knowledgeable
Explanation
Someone who is knowledgeable is highly educated and well versed in a particular subject. Making it your life goal to become knowledgeable about naked mole rats might not win you the Nobel Prize, but it might be fun. It’s interesting to note the shift in meaning of the adjective knowledgeable from when it was first recorded in the 1600s and now. Originally, knowledgeable was spelled without the second -e, and meant “capable of being known, recognizable.” Now, though, we use the adjective to describe that which has or displays knowledge. If you're well-read and alert, you're knowledgeable about the ways of the world.
Vocabulary lists containing knowledgeable
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Words to Describe a Teacher
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Employment, List 3
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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.
Journal readers are wise, idealistic and knowledgeable and almost invariably have insights that contribute more to any subject than I can.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rubio is knowledgeable about "the pain of the Cuban exile... because he is a product of South Florida," Bovo added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
At any moment, I thought that Dylan, a knowledgeable movie buff, might reveal that he had a degree in film studies from Brown University.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Some of these seminars promise attractive rewards like a “guaranteed” monthly income, Finra adds, and may suggest that successful or knowledgeable people have already invested, creating pressure to follow the crowd.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
“I must say, I’d like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
