knowledge

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun knowledge differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of knowledge are erudition, learning, and scholarship. While all these words mean "what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind," knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

In what contexts can erudition take the place of knowledge?

While in some cases nearly identical to knowledge, erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

When would learning be a good substitute for knowledge?

The words learning and knowledge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

Where would scholarship be a reasonable alternative to knowledge?

In some situations, the words scholarship and knowledge are roughly equivalent. However, scholarship implies the possession of learning characteristic of the advanced scholar in a specialized field of study or investigation.

a work of first-rate literary scholarship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knowledge Our favorites include this cute Harry Potter 4D Build set, an ultra-tough Rubik’s Cube, and a funny party game that puts a clever spin on fantasy football drafting (with no sports knowledge needed). Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 Weiss' job will be complicated, however, by the company's intention to conduct network-wide layoffs this month of up to 10% of the workforce, according to two people with direct knowledge. David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025 The practice blends domestic tax knowledge with a global perspective. Jason Phillips, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025 Reading has undeniable benefits—vocabulary, empathy, knowledge—but culture frames it as a moral good, a marker of superior parenting. Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for knowledge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knowledge
Noun
  • Red Mass is a Catholic Mass that celebrates the start of the judicial year and offers prayers for wisdom, counsel, and fortitude for judges, lawyers and public officials.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The Rock channels his old trash-talking persona and adds some sage wisdom for a couple of British youngsters (Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden) wanting advice on how to break into the wrestling business.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Occasionally, McMahon has spoken positively of public schools — for example, praising some for literacy gains.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Their paths to property blocked by law and custom, and their literacy limited by education and expectation, their lives left fewer traces.
    Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The team had a series of discussions and training for leaders in the field, building awareness and skillsets.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • This strategy was effective, especially in poorer regions, but with mounting losses and increased public awareness about the fate of Russian troops at the front, these drivers are no longer enough.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The board’s challenge lies in deepening their expertise while being intentional about protecting their bandwidth given the sheer volume of information and pace of change.
    Lara Abrash, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The level of scientific scrutiny and expertise means these documents are trusted by environmental experts around the world.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In recent years the amount of screen time at school has increased as students and teachers transition to digital learning.
    Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Various studies have linked omega-3 fatty acid intake to improved learning, memory, and cognition.
    Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This area was mostly empty at the beginning, but the monstrous sounds of the race cars firing up their engines drew a lot of attention.
    Keenan Thompson, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • But carpe diem for Egbuka, who is a massive enough talent to step into this void and withstand extra defensive attention.
    Michael Salfino, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Liz Dennett Liz Dennett is a geoscientist, technologist, and the founder and CEO of Endolith, a biological intelligence company pioneering microbial solutions to recover copper from ores and waste rock.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025
  • In addition, agents and intelligence professionals investigating violent crimes against children identified or located 1,053 child victims, the release says.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • He was sentenced to serve seven days in a DUI education center and ordered to pay a $350 fine and court fees.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The law stripped teachers and most public workers of collective bargaining rights and led to wide changes in the state's education system.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Knowledge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knowledge. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on knowledge

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