knowing — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Possessing knowledge or understanding; knowledgeable, intelligent.

   Examples

   The knowing and intelligent part of the world.

2. Deliberate, wilful.

3. Shrewd or showing clever awareness; discerning.

   Examples

   a knowing rascal

4. Demonstrating knowledge of what is in fashion; stylish, chic.

   Usage

   • Archaic

   Examples

   ‘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.’

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   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.

   Examples

   Jon and Tyrion greet each other with the words that have been used against them as weapons, sharing a knowing smile.

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   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.

Preposition

1. Given my knowledge about someone or something.

   Examples

   Knowing you, you would try not to be late for school.

Noun

1. The act or condition of having knowledge.

   Examples

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   Sensations then, are not perceivings, observings or findings; they are not detectings, scannings or inspectings; they are not apprehendings, cognisings, intuitings or knowings.

Adjective

1. evidencing the possession of inside information

   Synonyms

   wisewise to

2. characterized by conscious design or purpose

   Synonyms

   intentionaldeliberate

   Examples

   intentional damage

   a knowing act of fraud

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   a deliberate attempt to provoke a response

3. alert and fully informed

   Synonyms

   knowledgeable

   Examples

   a knowing collector of rare books

   surprisingly knowledgeable about what was going on

4. highly educated; having extensive information or understanding

   Synonyms

   knowledgeablelearnedletteredwell-educatedwell-read

   Examples

   knowing instructors

   a knowledgeable critic

   More examples (1)

   a knowledgeable audience

Noun

1. a clear and certain mental apprehension

   Broader terms

   higher cognitive process