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
Synonyms
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
Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
Often, a scene’s real protagonists are in the background, such as in the knowing, near-smirking reaction shots of Fernández’s colleagues when she is named a councillor, and given two of the plum posts on the Council: Treasury and Commerce.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 30 July 2024
Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 26 June 2024
Love them enough that our knowing — the structural inevitability of the play — is neither a flaw nor, in fact, the point.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for knowing 
Adjective
Vance and, by extension, Donald Trump, who selected Vance as his running mate even though the denigrating remarks were already public, are at fault for not protecting, much less knowing, the constitutional rights of childless women and, by extension, all Americans.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
Often, a scene’s real protagonists are in the background, such as in the knowing, near-smirking reaction shots of Fernández’s colleagues when she is named a councillor, and given two of the plum posts on the Council: Treasury and Commerce.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 30 July 2024
Noun
Take a moment to reflect on the meanings of the cards while trusting your inner knowing to interpret the messages.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 26 June 2024
Love them enough that our knowing — the structural inevitability of the play — is neither a flaw nor, in fact, the point.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for knowing
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knowing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near knowing
Cite this Entry
“Knowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knowing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
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