- past participle of know.
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.
The poet has for a very long time been associated with the Izmir region of Turkey's Aegean coast, which for most of its history was known as ancient Smyrna.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Chandler might not have known much about Lanterns, but he does understand the power of imagination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
"She was lovely - just like a friend you'd known all of your life," said Angela Powell who was among the first to arrive outside the singer's home.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The spread between the cost of producing a barrel of gasoline and the cost of the crude oil needed to produce it — known among traders as the “crack spread” — has widened sharply.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 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.
