1
: having or reflecting knowledge, information, or intelligence
2
a
: shrewdly and keenly alert : astute
a knowing observer
b
: indicating possession of exclusive inside knowledge or information
a knowing smile
3
4
: deliberate
knowing interference in the affairs of another
knowingly
adverb
knowingness
noun
Examples of knowing in a Sentence
Adjective
She looked at us in a knowing way.
exchanged a knowing look with her business partner during the sales presentation
Recent Examples on the Web
Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
In addition to the headline cars, there will be a knowing selection of more left-field, rare-groove Italian makers represented, including vehicles from Bizzarrini, Siata, and Cisitalia.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2026
Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Act with courage, but don’t lose sight of your personal needs and inner knowing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knowing
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Adjective
As young fans gripped their face in agony, the older faces held their palms up in knowing shrugs.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
In addition to the headline cars, there will be a knowing selection of more left-field, rare-groove Italian makers represented, including vehicles from Bizzarrini, Siata, and Cisitalia.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Act with courage, but don’t lose sight of your personal needs and inner knowing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knowing
Cite this Entry
“Knowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knowing. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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