Standard Lemma guide

knowing

adj · noun · prep · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈnəʊɪŋ/
  • Northumbria: /naːɪn/
  • General-American: /ˈnoʊɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: N OW1 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Possessing knowledge or understanding; knowledgeable, intelligent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Deliberate, wilful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Shrewd or showing clever awareness; discerning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a knowing rascal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Demonstrating knowledge of what is in fashion; stylish, chic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Suggestive of private knowledge or understanding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The act or condition of having knowledge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

prep

Meaning 7

Given my knowledge about someone or something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Knowing you, you would try not to be late for school.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

present participle and gerund of know

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

highly educated; having extensive information or understanding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • knowing instructors
  • a knowledgeable critic
  • a knowledgeable audience

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: knowledgeable, learned, lettered, well-educated, well-read

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

evidencing the possession of inside information

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wise(p), wise to(p)

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

alert and fully informed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a knowing collector of rare books
  • surprisingly knowledgeable about what was going on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: knowledgeable

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

characterized by conscious design or purpose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • intentional damage
  • a knowing attempt to defraud
  • a willful waste of time

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intentional

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a clear and certain mental apprehension

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: higher cognitive process

Narrower terms: awareness, consciousness, cognizance, cognisance, knowingness, incognizance, know, ken, prevision, foresight, farsightedness, prospicience, understanding, apprehension, discernment, savvy

History

Etymology

From know + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: знаещ (znaešt) — intelligent
  • Georgian: მცოდნე (mcodne) — intelligent
  • Hungarian: értelmes — intelligent
  • Hungarian: eszes — intelligent
  • Hungarian: okos — intelligent
  • Irish: seanchríonna — intelligent
  • Karakhanid: بِلْكا (bilgē) — intelligent
  • Latin: sciens — intelligent
  • Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰼 (bilir) — intelligent
  • Scottish Gaelic: seòlta — intelligent
  • Spanish: sabiente — intelligent
  • Spanish: conocedor — intelligent
  • Spanish: conociente — intelligent
  • Spanish: sabido — intelligent
  • Spanish: cognoscente — intelligent
  • Spanish: sabedor — intelligent
  • Spanish: disused: esciente — intelligent
  • Spanish: cognociente — intelligent
  • Turkish: bilen — intelligent
  • Turkish: bilir — intelligent
  • Bulgarian: сръчен (srǎčen) — shrewd
  • Bulgarian: похватен (pohvaten) — shrewd
  • Georgian: მარჯვე (marǯve) — shrewd
  • Georgian: მოხერხებული (moxerxebuli) — shrewd
  • Hungarian: agyafúrt — shrewd
  • Hungarian: szemfüles — shrewd
  • Hungarian: élelmes — shrewd
  • Hungarian: dörzsölt — shrewd
  • Hungarian: ravasz — shrewd
  • Scottish Gaelic: seòlta — shrewd
  • Hungarian: sokatmondó — suggestive of private knowledge
  • Hungarian: beavatott — suggestive of private knowledge
  • Latin: sciens — suggestive of private knowledge
  • Māori: aweko — suggestive of private knowledge
  • Bulgarian: умишлен (umišlen) — deliberate
  • Hungarian: szándékos — deliberate
  • Hungarian: akaratlagos — deliberate
  • Swedish: medveten — deliberate
Real reading context

knowing in complete knowledge articles