What does "knowledge" mean?
The fact of knowing about something; general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place, situation etc.
Knowledge
/ˈnɒlɪd͡ʒ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The fact of knowing about something; general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place, situation etc.
- Grammar: knowledge is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: awareness, learning, a scholarship, account.
- Useful contrasts: unknowing, no clue, clumsiness.
- Usage evidence: You have knowledge and experience as well.
How to use "knowledge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "knowledge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "knowledge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "knowledge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "knowledge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "knowledge" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "awareness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "knowledge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The fact of knowing about something; general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place, situation etc. uncountable, usually
"His knowledge of Iceland was limited to what he'd seen on the Travel Channel."
- 2 the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning wordnet
- 3 Awareness of a particular fact or situation; a state of having been informed or made aware of something. uncountable, usually
"He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid she had no knowledge of it."
- 4 Intellectual understanding; the state of appreciating truth or information. uncountable, usually
"Knowledge consists in recognizing the difference between good and bad decisions."
- 5 Familiarity or understanding of a particular skill, branch of learning etc. uncountable, usually
"Does your friend have any knowledge of hieroglyphs, perchance?"
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 Justified true belief uncountable, usually
- 7 Sexual intimacy or intercourse (now usually in phrase carnal knowledge). archaic, uncountable, usually
"Every time that he had knowledge of her he would leave, either in the bed, or in her cushion-cloth, or by her looking-glass, or in some place where she must needs find it, a piece of money[…]."
- 8 Information or intelligence about something; notice. obsolete, uncountable, usually
"Item, if any ship be in danger[…], every man to bear towards her, answering her with one light for a short time, and so to put it out again; thereby to give knowledge that they have seen her token."
- 9 The total of what is known; all information and products of learning. uncountable, usually
"His library contained the accumulated knowledge of the Greeks and Romans."
- 10 Something that can be known; a branch of learning; a piece of information; a science. countable, usually
"he weakened his braines much, as all men doe, who over nicely and greedily will search out those knowledges [translating cognoissances], which hang not for their mowing, nor pertaine unto them."
- 11 Acknowledgement. obsolete, uncountable, usually
- 12 Notice, awareness. obsolete, uncountable, usually
"Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"
- 13 The deep familiarity with certain routes and places of interest required by taxicab drivers working in London, England. UK, informal, uncountable, usually
"There is only one sure way to memorise the runs and that is to follow them, either on foot, cycle or motor cycle; hence, the familiar sight of would-be cabbies learning the knowledge during evenings and weekends."
Verb
- 1 To confess as true; to acknowledge. obsolete
"Then went oute to hym Jerusalem, and all Jury, and all the region rounde aboute Jordan, and were baptised of hym in Jordan, knoledging their synnes."
Proper Noun
- 1 A course of study which must be completed by prospective London taxi drivers; consists of 320 routes through central London and many significant places.
"The drivers of the officially licensed "black cabs" are famous for their mastery of "The Knowledge" of London streets."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You have knowledge and experience as well."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "knowledge"?
Common synonyms include: awareness, learning, a scholarship, account, acquaintance, adeptness.
How do you use "knowledge" in a sentence?
You have knowledge and experience as well.
How do you pronounce "knowledge"?
Pronounced /ˈnɒlɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English knowleche, knaweleche, cnawlece (“knowledge”), from knowen (“to know, recognise”) + -leche. Related to Middle English knowlechen (“to find out, acknowledge”). For more on the Middle English suffix -leche, compare freelage. Compare also Old English cnāwelǣċ, cnāwelǣċing (“acknowledging, acknowledgement”).