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knowing

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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    From know + -ing.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    knowing (comparative more knowing, superlative most knowing)

    1. Possessing knowledge or understanding; knowledgeable, intelligent. [from 14th c.]
      • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
        The knowing and intelligent part of the world.
    2. Deliberate, wilful. [from 16th c.]
    3. Shrewd or showing clever awareness; discerning. [from 17th c.]
      a knowing rascal
    4. (archaic) Demonstrating knowledge of what is in fashion; stylish, chic. [from 18th c.]
      • 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 173:
        ‘I was a raw boy from College, and fancied it very knowing to marry a girl that all the young fellows of my acquaintance reckoned so confounded handsome.’
      • 1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:
        Tom thought his cap a very knowing affair, but confessed that he had a hat in his hat-box; which was accordingly at once extracted from the hind-boot, and Tom equipped in his go-to-meeting roof, as his new friend called it.
    5. Suggestive of private knowledge or understanding. [from 19th c.]
      • 2017 July 30, Ali Barthwell, “Ice and fire finally meet in a front-loaded episode of Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎[1]:
        Jon and Tyrion greet each other with the words that have been used against them as weapons, sharing a knowing smile.
      • 2025 November 25, Caroline Siede, “Zootopia 2 is a stagnant sequel with one stellar subplot”, in AV Club‎[2]:
        As family entertainment, it’s all perfectly fine. There are plenty of callbacks to the original to delight young fans (including a catchy new song from Shakira’s Gazelle) and plenty of knowing jokes for the adults in the audience.

    Synonyms

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    Translations

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    Preposition

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    knowing

    1. Given my knowledge about someone or something.
      Knowing you, you would try not to be late for school.

    Verb

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    knowing

    1. present participle and gerund of know

    Noun

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    knowing (plural knowings)

    1. The act or condition of having knowledge.
      • 2009, Gilbert Ryle, The Concept of Mind (60th Anniversary Edition, 1949, page 194)
        Sensations then, are not perceivings, observings or findings; they are not detectings, scannings or inspectings; they are not apprehendings, cognisings, intuitings or knowings.

    Derived terms

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