Adjacent Words

known definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: apprehended with certainty; "a known quantity"; "the limits of the known world"; "a musician known throughout the world"; "a known criminal" [ant: unknown]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 13th century generally recognized <a known authority on art>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

past part. of KNOW.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Know Know, v. t. [imp. Knew; p. p. Known; p. pr. & vb. n. Knowing.] [OE. knowen, knawen, AS. cn["a]wan; akin to OHG. chn["a]an (in comp.), Icel. kn["a] to be able, Russ, znate to know, L. gnoscere, noscere, Gr. ?, Skr. jn?; fr. the root of E. can, v. i., ken. (?). See Ken, Can to be able, and cf. Acquaint, Cognition, Gnome, Ignore, Noble, Note.] 1. To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand; to have full information of; as, to know one's duty. O, that a man might know The end of this day's business ere it come! --Shak. There is a certainty in the proposition, and we know it. --Dryden. Know how sublime a thing it is To suffer and be strong. --Longfellow. 2. To be convinced of the truth of; to be fully assured of; as, to know things from information. 3. To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. --2 Cor. v. 21. Not to know me argues yourselves unknown. --Milton. 4. To recognize; to distinguish; to discern the character of; as, to know a person's face or figure. Ye shall know them by their fruits. --Matt. vil. 16. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. --Luke xxiv. 31. To know Faithful friend from flattering foe. --Shak. At nearer view he thought he knew the dead. --Flatman. 5. To have sexual commerce with. And Adam knew Eve his wife. --Gen. iv. 1. Note: Know is often followed by an objective and an infinitive (with or without to) or a participle, a dependent sentence, etc. And I knew that thou hearest me always. --John xi. 42. The monk he instantly knew to be the prior. --Sir W. Scott. In other hands I have known money do good. --Dickens. To know how, to understand the manner, way, or means; to have requisite information, intelligence, or sagacity. How is sometimes omitted. `` If we fear to die, or know not to be patient.'' --Jer. Taylor.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Known Known, p. p. of Know.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Known is the past participle of know. 2. You use known to describe someone or something that is clearly recognized by or familiar to all people or to a particular group of people. ...He was a known drug dealer... He became one of the best known actors of his day... ADJ: ADJ n, v-link ADJ prep, v-link adv ADJ 3. If someone or something is known for a particular achievement or feature, they are familiar to many people because of that achievement or feature. He is better known for his film and TV work. ADJ: v-link ADJ for n/-ing 4. If you let it be known that something is the case, or you let something be known, you make sure that people know it or can find out about it. The Prime Minister has let it be known that he is against it... PHRASE