ken

8 synonyms and 1 antonym for ken, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To know or understand something (chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect).

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

knowledge understanding awareness range sight

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

comprehension grasp

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

cognizance

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To know or understand something (chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect).

“Och, I dinnae ken whether the bus is running on a Sunday.”

knowledge understanding awareness comprehension grasp range

2. noun

The range or limit of someone's knowledge or understanding.

“Why the printer keeps jamming is quite beyond my ken.”

cognizance sight

Opposites

ignorance

How to use ken

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

beyond my ken outside one's ken

The verb sense is chiefly Scottish/Northern English dialect; the noun phrase "beyond my ken" is standard English.

Etymology

From Middle English kennen, "to make known, understand", from Old English cennan, "to declare, give birth to, beget" — related to the modern word kin.

Full origin of ken →

Frequently asked questions

What does “ken” mean?

The word “ken” means to know or understand something (chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect). In plain terms, to know something (Scots/Northern English usage), or, as a noun, the scope of someone's knowledge.

How do you pronounce “ken”?

“Ken” is pronounced kehn (/kɛn/ in IPA).

How do you use “ken” in a sentence?

Here is “ken” used in a sentence: “Do you ken what he meant by that?”

What part of speech is “ken”?

Depending on how it is used, “ken” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “ken” come from?

The word “ken” comes from Old English. From Middle English kennen, "to make known, understand", from Old English cennan, "to declare, give birth to, beget" — related to the modern word kin.

Is “ken” a common word?

“Ken” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “ken” have?

“Ken” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to know or understand something (chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect).

What is the difference between 'ken' and 'know'?

As verbs, both 'ken' and 'know' mean to understand or be aware of something. 'Know' is standard everywhere, while 'ken' is a dialect word used mainly in Scotland and Northern England, as in 'do you ken?'

Where is 'ken' used to mean 'to know'?

The verb 'ken,' meaning to know or understand, is chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect. It is common in everyday speech in those regions but is rare in standard English elsewhere.

Is 'ken' still used in everyday English?

The verb sense, meaning 'to know,' remains in active use as dialect in Scotland and Northern England. In standard English the word survives mainly as a noun in the fixed phrase 'beyond one's ken.'

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range knowledge understanding sight awareness ignorance grasp comprehension cognizance

Nearby words

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