ken

1 of 2

noun

1
: the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge
abstract words that are beyond the ken of young childrenLois M. Rettie
2
a
: the range of vision
b
: sight, view
'tis double death to drown in ken of shoreWilliam Shakespeare

ken

2 of 2

verb

kenned; kenning

transitive verb

1
archaic : see
2
chiefly dialectal : recognize
3
chiefly Scotland : know

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland : know

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Understanding Ken

Need a word that can encompass all that one perceives, understands, or knows? It’s just ken. Of course, whether someone is a president, writer, physicist, diplomat, journalist, or even a stereotypical Barbie, everyone has their own personal ken. So when someone says something is “beyond” it, they’re not admitting to being a gosling, only that the topic or question at hand is beyond their particular range of knowledge or expertise. Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century referring to the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea (about 20 miles), and would thus have been familiar to skippers in particular. Its meaning soon broadened, however, to mean “range of vision” or “sight” on land or sea. Today ken rarely suggests literal sight, but rather the extent of what one can metaphorically “see.” And that, as they say, is enough.

Examples of ken in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
How Apple could or should approach easier customization is beyond my ken for the purposes of this review; the recurring sentiment for me is simply that customization doesn’t come without a cost. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Horrifying but not outside my ken of credulity. Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2021 What had been beyond the ken of my comprehension even into adolescence was a nuisance for this individual in their elementary school years. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2010 For that reason, or for reasons beyond the ken of a public-high-school boy from Kansas City, Missouri, about all a male needed in those days in order to be brought along to a débutante party by some legitimate invitee was a tuxedo and a pulse. The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 See all Example Sentences for ken 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan to make known & Old Norse kenna to perceive; both akin to Old English can know — more at can entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ken was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ken. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ken

1 of 2 verb
kenned; kenning
chiefly Scottish

ken

2 of 2 noun
1
: range of vision : sight
2
: range of understanding
miracles beyond human ken

More from Merriam-Webster on ken

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