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knowing

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From know +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

Adjective

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:
      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:
      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

Translations

Preposition

knowing

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

Verb

knowing

  1. present participle and gerund of know

Noun

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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