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.
“But there are areas where you can say no, it’s investing. You’re deeply knowledgeable, you’re taking the other side of a bet, and you think you know better than the other person.”
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
For the rest of us, a world without this unusual, determined and deeply knowledgeable man will take some getting used to.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
European investment firm Permira also has expressed interest, according to a knowledgeable source.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Franklin was more knowledgeable about medicine than many doctors of his day.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The families who lived along the river were an enormous help, selling the expedition two new canoes and setting them up with a knowledgeable guide.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
