knowing

English

Etymology

From know +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnoʊɪŋ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnəʊɪŋ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊɪŋ

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, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:

     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. 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.’

5. The ability to know something without being taught.
6. 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.

Synonyms

• knowful

Derived terms

• all-knowing
• self-knowing

 

Translations

intelligent

• Bulgarian: знаещ (bg) (znaešt)
• Georgian: მცოდნე (mcodne)
• Hungarian: értelmes (hu), eszes (hu), okos (hu)
• Irish: seanchríonna
• Karakhanid: بِلْكا (bilgē)
• Latin: sciens (la)
• Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰼 (bilir)
• Scottish Gaelic: seòlta
• Turkish: bilen (tr), bilir (tr)

shrewd

• Bulgarian: сръчен (bg) (srǎčen), похватен (bg) (pohvaten)
• Georgian: მარჯვე (marǯve), მოხერხებული (moxerxebuli)
• Hungarian: agyafúrt (hu), szemfüles (hu), élelmes (hu), dörzsölt (hu), ravasz (hu)
• Scottish Gaelic: seòlta

suggestive of private knowledge

• Hungarian: sokatmondó (hu), beavatott (hu)
• Latin: sciens (la)
• Maori: aweko

deliberate

• Bulgarian: умишлен (bg) (umišlen)
• Hungarian: szándékos (hu), akaratlagos (hu)
• Swedish: medveten (sv)

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

Derived terms

• knowingly

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.