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.
Among the supporters who have turned out are Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, and rapper MGK, best known as Machine Gun Kelly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Mingma G knew of Nirmal - or Nims, as he was known - from his Netflix documentary 14 Peaks, in which he successfully climbed the world's 14 highest mountains in just over six months.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
One of the bugs wasn’t publicly known and it was serious, known as a zero-day vulnerability in cybersecurity parlance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
For the home cooks: OXO is best known for revolutionizing the salad spinner, but it has also redesigned the garlic press, the can opener, the vegetable peeler … the list goes on.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Because Russia—then known as the Soviet Union—was a Communist nation, propaganda in the United States focused on anti-Communist messaging.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
