Standard Lemma guide

known

adj · noun · verb · 6 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /nəʊn/
  • Northumbria: /naːn/
  • General-American: nōn
  • General-American: /noʊn/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈnɐʉn/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈnɐʉ.wən/ some speakers
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊn
  • homophone: none
  • CMU ARPABET: N OW1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was a known pickpocket.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unknown

2

adj

Meaning 2

Accepted, familiar, researched.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • At the time, Einstein's theory was unknown to most other scientists.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unknown

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any fact or situation which is known or familiar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • You have to tell the knowns from the unknowns.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A constant or variable the value of which is already determined.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: algebra, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

past participle of know

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

apprehended with certainty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a known quantity
  • the limits of the known world
  • a musician known throughout the world
  • a known criminal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unknown

History

Etymology

From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwen (past participle). Morphologically know + -n.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: njohur — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Albanian: i nim — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Arabic: مَعْلُوم (maʕlūm) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Bhojpuri: ज्ञात (jñāt) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Bulgarian: познат (poznat) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Catalan: conegut — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Cebuano: giila — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Czech: známý — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Old Czech: věst — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Danish: kendt — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Finnish: tunnettu — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • French: connu — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Galician: coñecido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Galician: sabido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Georgian: ცნობილი (cnobili) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Georgian: სახელოვანი (saxelovani) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • German: bekannt — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Gothic: 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃 (kunþs) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Greek: γνωστός (gnostós) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Ancient Greek: γνώριμος (gnṓrimos) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Ancient Greek: γνωστός (gnōstós) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Hindi: विदित (vidit) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Hindi: मालूम (mālūm) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Hindi: ज्ञात (jñāt) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Hungarian: ismert — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Icelandic: þekktur — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Italian: conosciuto — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Italian: noto — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Kazakh: мәлім (mälım) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Latin: nōtus — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Norwegian: kjent — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Old East Slavic: вѣстъ (věstŭ) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Persian: شناخته (šenâxte) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Polish: wiadomy — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Portuguese: conhecido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Quechua: riqsisqa — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Russian: изве́стный (izvéstnyj) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Sanskrit: ज्ञात (jñāta) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Scots: kent — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Slovak: známy — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Lower Sorbian: znaty — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Spanish: conocido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Spanish: que tiene fama de — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Spanish: conocido por — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Spanish: consabido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Spanish: sabido — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Swedish: känd — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Turkish: bilinen — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Ukrainian: відо́мий (vidómyj) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Urdu: معلوم (mālūm) — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Welsh: hysbys — whom other people know; renowned, famous
  • Welsh: gwybyddus — whom other people know; renowned, famous
Real reading context

known in complete knowledge articles