Meaning & use
knowledge
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Meanings
noununcountable
Facts, information, skills, and understanding that people gain through learning, study, or experience.
Grammar: Usually no article: share knowledge, not a knowledge, except in the fixed phrase a knowledge of.
Patterns
- acquire knowledge
- share knowledge with someone
- knowledge of something
- knowledge about something
She has a wide knowledge of plants from years of gardening.
The internet gives us quick access to knowledge.
He gained useful knowledge during his first job.
nounsingular
A particular understanding or command of a subject, skill, or language.
Grammar: Used with an and of: a good knowledge of Spanish; it is not the same as general information.
Patterns
- a knowledge of a language
- a working knowledge of something
- a good knowledge of a subject
The job asks for a working knowledge of spreadsheets.
She has a detailed knowledge of local history.
Common combinations
- general knowledge
- The quiz covered simple general knowledge.
- common knowledge
- It is common knowledge that the library closes at six.
- knowledge base
- The help pages form a useful online knowledge base.
- acquire knowledge
- Students acquire knowledge through practice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- understanding
- Understanding stresses grasp and insight; knowledge can mean the collected facts themselves.
- learning
- Learning suggests study and scholarship, while knowledge can come from ordinary experience.
- information
- Information is raw facts or data; knowledge is information organized and understood.
Opposites
Word family
- know verb
- To have knowledge or be certain about something.
- knowledgeable adjective
- Having a lot of knowledge about something.
Commonly confused: knowledge or acknowledge?
knowledge vs acknowledge
Acknowledge means to admit or recognize; knowledge is the information or understanding itself.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
A fixed phrase is 'a knowledge of' a skill or subject; 'knowledge about' is possible but less idiomatic here, and to/for do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “knowledge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.