English Meaning & Definitions
To have heard about someone or something or to be aware of their existence, without necessarily having personal experience or detailed knowledge of them.
- “I know of a great Italian restaurant downtown, but I have never actually eaten there.”
- “She knows of the author, but she hasn't read any of his books.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “know of”.
Derived from the Old English 'cnawan' (to recognize, perceive) combined with the preposition 'of,' which in this context functions to denote a connection or awareness of something's existence without implying deep or personal familiarity.
Think of it as 'knowing the name, but not the person': you know OF them, but you don't know them personally.
Frequently Asked Questions About “know of”
1. What is the meaning of “know of” in English?
In English, know of (idiom) is defined as: “To have heard about someone or something or to be aware of their existence, without necessarily having personal experience or detailed knowledge of them.”.
2. How do you use “know of” in a sentence?
“I know of a great Italian restaurant downtown, but I have never actually eaten there.”
3. What are English synonyms of “know of”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “know of”?
Derived from the Old English 'cnawan' (to recognize, perceive) combined with the preposition 'of,' which in this context functions to denote a connection or awareness of something's existence without implying deep or personal familiarity.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.