What does known mean?
Known is the past participle of know and is also used independently as an adjective. Its basic meaning is familiar or recognized: a person may be known to us, and a subject may be known to an audience. In this sense, known can describe personal familiarity, as in a face I have seen before, or broader recognition, as in a well-known writer. It can also mean publicly acknowledged or established, as in a known fact, a known problem, or a known limitation. The word is useful because it distinguishes knowledge in its completed or recognized state from the process of learning. In sentences such as ‘I have known her for years’ or ‘The issue is known,’ it functions as a verb participle, while phrases such as ‘known as’ and ‘known for’ treat it adjectivally. Known is common in both formal and informal English and can sometimes suggest that something is firmly established rather than merely suspected.
Familiar, recognized, or understood by someone; publicly acknowledged or established.
"The company is known for producing durable outdoor equipment."
Commonly used predicatively after forms of be and attributively in compounds such as well-known. It may indicate either personal familiarity or general public recognition.
The past participle of know, used after auxiliary verbs such as have and be.
"The investigators have known about the problem since March."
As a participle, known is standard in perfect constructions and passive constructions such as ‘is known as.’
‘Known’ quietly carries the whole story of knowing: what we have learned, what we recognize, and what the world has acknowledged.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does known come from?
Known is the past participle of know and developed from the Old English verb cnāwan, with the participial form becoming established in Middle English. Modern know and known reflect the long history of this Germanic root and its usage in both verbal and adjectival constructions. English relatives such as knowledge, knowledgeable, and acknowledge preserve the same root in related meanings.
How known is actually used
Known is standard in formal and informal English. As an adjective, it is commonly used after linking verbs such as be, become, and remain; in formal writing, phrases such as ‘it is known that’ are frequent. The word can imply either familiarity or public acknowledgment depending on context.
Easily confused with known
Known is an adjective or participle describing what is familiar or recognized, whereas knowledge is a noun referring to information or understanding acquired through learning.
Knew is the simple past tense of know, while known is the past participle, used after forms of have or be and also functioning as an adjective.