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Synonyms

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.

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

    1. as I understand it

    2. as I know

  9. to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
knowledge More Idioms  

  1. see little knowledge is a dangerous thing; to the best of (one's knowledge).

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; know 1; wedlock

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.

Farmers and communities also need control over their own data and knowledge.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

"A civilised country, a civilised government never targets institutions of knowledge, laboratories or research centres," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Such seamless technologies teach us that repair and understanding is not our role and that such proficiency and knowledge is unnecessary.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

No financial details of the acquisition were disclosed but the price was in the “low hundreds of millions” according to the Financial Times, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Abby lay still, absorbing the knowledge that her whereabouts were unknown to the rest of the world.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

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.