omniscient

adjective

om·​ni·​scient äm-ˈni-shənt How to pronounce omniscient (audio)
1
: having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
an omniscient author
the narrator seems an omniscient person who tells us about the characters and their relationsIra Konigsberg
2
: possessed of universal or complete knowledge
the omniscient God
omnisciently adverb

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What is the origin of omniscient?

One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient combines two Latin roots: omni-, meaning "all" or "universally," and the verb scire, meaning "to know." You will recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous ("eating all" or, in actual use, "eating both plants and animals") and omnipotent ("all-powerful"). Scire likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning "foreknowledge").

Examples of omniscient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Amodei’s and Hassabis’s visions that omniscient computer programs will soon end all disease is worth any amount of spending today. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024 So does narration that alternates between the main characters and an omniscient author, using first, second or third person singular, depending. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 And to Cumming’s amusement, the cast seems genuinely scared of him at times, treating him as an almost omniscient voice of God on the show. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024 At its core, the multiverse is like an omniscient crystal ball that displays all fortunes rather than just one. Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for omniscient 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin omniscient-, omnisciens, back-formation from Medieval Latin omniscientia

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of omniscient was in 1598

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Dictionary Entries Near omniscient

Cite this Entry

“Omniscient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omniscient. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

omniscient

adjective
om·​ni·​scient äm-ˈnish-ənt How to pronounce omniscient (audio)
: knowing everything
omnisciently adverb
Etymology

from modern Latin omniscient-, omnisciens "knowing all things, all-knowing," derived from omni- (from omnis "all") and scient-, sciens "knowing," from scire "to know" — related to science

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