Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Possessing knowledge, information, or understanding.
  • adjective Showing clever awareness and resourcefulness; shrewd and worldly.
  • adjective Suggestive of secret or private knowledge.
  • adjective Deliberate; conscious.
  • adjective Archaic Fashionable; stylish.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having perception or knowledge; intelligent; instructed.
  • Conscious; intentional.
  • Shrewd; sharp; smart; in a special sense, having or simulating the appearance of possessing information which one is unwilling to communicate.
  • Expressive of knowledge or cunning: as, a knowing look.
  • Smart-looking; stylish.
  • Synonyms Astute, Sage, etc. See astute. (See also sagacious.)
  • noun Knowledge; acquaintance; ascertainment; power or means of ascertaining.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Skilful; well informed; intelligent
  • adjective colloq. Artful; cunning.
  • noun Knowledge; hence, experience.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Possessing knowledge or understanding; intelligent.
  • adjective Shrewd or showing clever awareness.
  • adjective Suggestive of private knowledge.
  • adjective Deliberate
  • verb Present participle of know.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characterized by conscious design or purpose
  • noun a clear and certain mental apprehension
  • adjective highly educated; having extensive information or understanding
  • adjective evidencing the possession of inside information
  • adjective alert and fully informed

Etymologies

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Examples

  • We're going and I'm never knowing * never knowing* where we're going.

    super-suzan Diary Entry super-suzan 2006

  • He'd dreamt that night of Davey stealing into the cave and squatting beside him, watching him the way that he had before, and of Alan knowing, * knowing* that Davey was there, ready to rend and tear, knowing that his knife with its coiled handle was just under his pillow, but not being able to move his arms or legs.

    Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town Cory Doctorow

  • The young student of diplomacy, knowing Palmerston, must have taken for granted that Palmerston inspired this motion and would support it; —knowing Russell and his Whig antecedents, he would conceive that Russell must oppose it; —knowing Gladstone and his lofty principles, he would not doubt that Gladstone violently denounced the scheme.

    Political Morality (1862) 1918

  • "thing-in-itself"; not knowing what these words mean, you are ignorant and recreant to the truth; _knowing_ what they mean, you tug no more at the veil.

    The Journal of Arthur Stirling : the Valley of the Shadow Upton Sinclair 1923

  • The other information I would be interested in knowing is what % of Americas working population is composed of government employees?

    GOP says even bloodhounds can't find stimulus jobs 2009

  • Will try this 270 when t arrives and give a report to anyone interested in knowing from a commom man, not a con-artist-writer.

    Return of the Model 70 2008

  • He was using the phrase "knowing nothing" in a broadly metaphysical sense, not as a way of discrediting science and scientific evidence, which he unequivocally supported.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Christopher Lane 2011

  • Obama and the socalist progressives give somthing a name knowing that most of the followers have no clue what it actually does!

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2011

  • It would be selfish of me to see him serve another term knowing there are so many things he could be doing.

    Ledger-Enquirer: Breaking News 2009

  • I mean, why make up a new term knowing the definition will shift?

    Readercon, Day 3 maryrobinette 2006

Comments

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  • The reason it is said that he who knows what is going on

    does not actually know anything is that:

    what is going on (unrecognized by routine minds) consumes completely

    all that man’s mind calls, knowing.

    --Jan Cox

    June 17, 2007