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known. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
known, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
known in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwen (past participle).
Morphologically know + -n.
Pronunciation
Adjective
known (comparative better known, superlative best known)
- Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned.
- Antonym: unknown
He was a known pickpocket.
1664 April 4 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “March 25th, 1664 (Lady day)”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys , volume IV, London: George Bell & Sons ; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1894, →OCLC, page 85:Being not knowne, some great persons in the pew I pretended to, and went in, did question my coming in.
- Accepted, familiar, researched.
- Antonym: unknown
2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.
Alternative forms
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations
that whom other people know, renowned, famous
Noun
known (plural knowns)
- Any fact or situation which is known or familiar.
- You have to tell the knowns from the unknowns.
2012, Thomas Dougherty, Antibiotic Discovery and Development, volume 1, page 39:The biological dereplication tool may identify major knowns in a mixture, but it may miss novel minor components.
- (algebra) A constant or variable the value of which is already determined.
Verb
known
- past participle of know