knowing

[ noh-ing ]

See synonyms for: knowing knowingly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

affecting, implying, or deliberately revealing shrewd knowledge of secret or private information: a knowing glance.
that knows; having knowledge or information; intelligent.

shrewd, sharp, or astute.
conscious; intentional; deliberate.

Origin of knowing

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English knawynge (earlier knowende, knawande ); equivalent to know¹ + -ing²

Other words for knowing

1	meaningful, significant, eloquent, perceptive

See synonyms for knowing on Thesaurus.com

Other words from knowing

know·ing·ly, adverb
know·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use knowing in a sentence

Nothing like a little world economy knowingness to silence the in-laws.
How to Sound Smart on Thanksgiving | Samuel P. Jacobs | November 23, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
In recent weeks, McHale has used The Soup to promote Community—with facetious knowingness, of course.
From Soup to Spotlight | Nicole LaPorte | September 13, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Anthony negatived the question decisively with a reference to his general knowingness.
Rhoda Fleming, Complete | George Meredith
The primitive Roxburgheians used to sport these toasts as a symbol of knowingness and high caste in book-hunting freemasonry.
The Book-Hunter | John Hill Burton
Here Jack whistled low, shut one eye with deep knowingness, and grinned behind his bell-crown.
The Entailed Hat | George Alfred Townsend

From this lack of housewifely knowingness and capacity, she suffered much and Shelley not a little.
The Real Shelley, Vol. II (of 2) | John Cordy Jeaffreson
Therefore all-knowingness is possible only in the sense of capacity for all knowledge.
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya | Translator: George Thibaut

British Dictionary definitions for knowing

knowing

/ (ˈnəʊɪŋ) /

adjective

suggesting secret information or knowledge
wise, shrewd, or clever

deliberate; intentional

noun

there is no knowing one cannot tell

Derived forms of knowing

knowingly, adverb
knowingness, noun

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

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