knowledge

English Online Dictionary. What means knowledge‎? What does knowledge mean?

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) knolege, knowlage, knowleche, knowledg, knowlege, knowliche, knowlych, knowlech
• (obsolete, uncommon, Scottish) knaulege, knaulage, knawlage
• (obsolete, uncommon) knoleche, knoleige, knowlache, knolych
• (obsolete, verb) knawlache

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”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: nŏl′ij
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈnɒlɪd͡ʒ/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnɑlɪd͡ʒ/
• (obsolete) enPR: nōl′ij, IPA^(key): /ˈnoʊlɪd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -ɒlɪdʒ
• Hyphenation UK: know‧ledge, US: knowl‧edge

Noun

knowledge (usually uncountable, plural knowledges)

1. The fact of knowing about something; general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place, situation etc. [from 14th c.]
2. Awareness of a particular fact or situation; a state of having been informed or made aware of something. [from 14th c.]
3. Intellectual understanding; the state of appreciating truth or information. [from 14th c.]
4. Familiarity or understanding of a particular skill, branch of learning etc. [from 14th c.]

5. (philosophical) Justified true belief
6. (archaic or law) Sexual intimacy or intercourse (now usually in phrase carnal knowledge). [from 15th c.]
7. (obsolete) Information or intelligence about something; notice. [15th–18th c.]
8. The total of what is known; all information and products of learning. [from 16th c.]

9. (countable) Something that can be known; a branch of learning; a piece of information; a science. [from 16th c.]
10. (obsolete) Acknowledgement. [14th–16th c.]
11. (obsolete) Notice, awareness. [17th c.]
12. (UK, informal) The deep familiarity with certain routes and places of interest required by taxicab drivers working in London, England.

Quotations

Synonyms

• awareness
• cognizance
• ken
• knowingness
• learning
• See Thesaurus:knowledge

Antonyms

• ignorance

Hyponyms

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Related terms

• know
• knowing

Collocations

Translations

Verb

knowledge (third-person singular simple present knowledges, present participle knowledging, simple past and past participle knowledged)

1. (obsolete) To confess as true; to acknowledge. [13th–17th c.]

See also

• data
• erudition
• information
• know-how
• perception
• wisdom

Further reading

• “knowledge”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “knowledge”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.