known
Americanverb
noun
verb
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of known
First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective
Explanation
Something known is something people are aware of or know about. Don’t ask a known thief to walk your dog while you’re out of town, especially if she is known as the “Poodle Poacher.” When you know something, it’s in your memory and awareness. When something is known, you know it! Technically, known is the past participle of know. Cigarettes are known to cause cancer. Martin Luther King is known as a hero to Americans. Cassius Clay is known as Muhammad Ali. If you stay out late and get in trouble, you should’ve known better. Something known is established, and people don't have reason to doubt it.
Vocabulary lists containing known
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.
“Nobody wants to be known for having the longest drought,” said Pete Guelli, the chief operating officer of both the Bills and the Sabres.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Jamie Dornan is also a new addition to the cast and plays Strider, who is also known to fans as Aragorn.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
The project reflects two years of collaboration between Schwimmer and Triebold Paleontology Inc., a company known for creating detailed fossil skeleton models for museums and institutions worldwide.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
The Strait of Hormuz long has been known as a crucial energy chokepoint, but the expensive investment needed to bypass the waterway didn’t seem like it was worth the effort.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
There was just enough room beside them for the lamp: almost, he thought, as if Renn had known how big to make the box.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
