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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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; 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

A source in the Ukrainian government with knowledge of the matter told the BBC they're unaware of any "active work" by the UK authorities to assist imprisoned citizens.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

“Without having a little bit of knowledge about how the chorizo is made, you can’t be the head chef of the kitchen,” Hernandez said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Kendrick Lamar’s hatred of Drake is common knowledge regardless of whether you own either rapper’s albums.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

In cases of human-to-human transmission, existing knowledge about environmental factors relating to contagion from rodents "does not apply," infectious disease specialist Maria Ester Lazaro told AFP.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

It always felt like he had entire universes of knowledge and wisdom swirling behind his eyes.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

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