Meaning & use
well-rounded knowledge
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Meaning
phraseuncountable
a broad understanding of many subjects rather than deep knowledge of only one
Grammar: It is uncountable, so use 'a lot of' or 'some', not 'a': 'a lot of well-rounded knowledge'.
Patterns
- have well-rounded knowledge of something
- gain well-rounded knowledge
- a well-rounded knowledge base
The program gives students well-rounded knowledge of both science and the arts.
Employers value well-rounded knowledge, not just one narrow skill.
Reading widely helped her build well-rounded knowledge before university.
Common combinations
- well-rounded knowledge of
- She has well-rounded knowledge of European history.
- gain well-rounded knowledge
- Students gain well-rounded knowledge through the core courses.
- a well-rounded knowledge base
- The training builds a well-rounded knowledge base for new managers.
- well-rounded knowledge and skills
- The course develops well-rounded knowledge and skills.
Synonyms and how they differ
- broad knowledge
- 'Broad knowledge' simply means wide coverage; 'well-rounded' adds the idea of balance across different areas.
- general knowledge
- 'General knowledge' is what most people know about common topics; 'well-rounded knowledge' suggests planned, balanced learning.
Word family
- well-rounded adjective
- having a good balance of different abilities or experience
Commonly confused: well-rounded knowledge or well-grounded?
well-rounded knowledge vs well-grounded
'Well-grounded' means based on solid basic facts or training, while 'well-rounded' means broad and balanced.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'well-rounded knowledge' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Knowledge' is uncountable here, so no article and no plural: 'well-rounded knowledge of many subjects'. Option A wrongly adds 'a', option B wrongly pluralizes it, and option D wrongly uses 'the'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “well-rounded knowledge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.