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