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In Christianity, the word of knowledge is a spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8. It has been associated with the ability to teach the faith, but also with forms of revelation similar to prophecy. It is closely related to another spiritual gift, the word of wisdom.
Description[edit]
Throughout church history, this gift has often been viewed as a teaching gift and connected with being able to understand scriptural truth.[1] The Catholic Encyclopedia defines it as «the grace of propounding the Faith effectively, of bringing home to the minds and hearts of the listener with Divine persuasiveness, the hidden mysteries and the moral precepts of Christianity».[2]
Among Pentecostal and some Charismatic Christians, the word of knowledge is often defined as the ability of one person to know what God is currently doing or intends to do in the life of another person. It can also be defined as knowing the secrets of another person’s heart. Through this revelation, it is believed that God encourages the faith of the believer to receive the healing or comfort that God offers.[1] For example, in a public gathering, a person who claims to have the gift of knowledge may describe a medical problem (such as syphilis or trench foot) and ask anyone suffering from the described problem to identify themselves and receive an effective prayer for healing.[3] According to this definition, the word of knowledge is a form of revelation similar to prophecy or a type of discernment.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, s.v. «Knowledge, Word of: 3. The Word of Knowledge in Tradition».
- ^ Wilhelm, Joseph. «Charismata». The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. Accessed 23 Jul. 2012.
- ^ The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, s.v. «Spirituality, Pentecostal and Charismatic».
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Word of Knowledge
In Christianity, the word of knowledge is a spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8. It has been associated with the ability to teach the faith, but also with forms of revelation similar to prophecy. It is closely related to another spiritual gift, the word of wisdom.
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Word of Knowledge
In Christianity, the word of knowledge is a spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8. It is closely related to the word of wisdom.
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How to say word of knowledge in sign language?
Numerology
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Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of word of knowledge in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
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Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of word of knowledge in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
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Britannica Dictionary definition of KNOWLEDGE
1
:
information, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education
[noncount]
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She has little/no/some knowledge of fashion/history/cooking.
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He has devoted himself to the pursuit of knowledge.
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a thirst/quest for knowledge
[singular]
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a knowledge of carpentry
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She gained/acquired a thorough knowledge of local customs.
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I have a reading knowledge of French [=I can read French], but I can’t speak it fluently.
2
[noncount]
:
awareness of something
:
the state of being aware of something
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He claimed to have no knowledge of the plan. = He denied all/any knowledge of the plan.
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Did you have any knowledge of her intentions?
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The decision was made without my knowledge. [=I did not know about the decision]
common knowledge
:
something that many or most people know
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It’s common knowledge that she plans to run for mayor.
public knowledge
:
something that people know because it has been reported in the news
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His legal problems are a matter of public knowledge.
safe/secure in the knowledge
:
feeling safe or secure because you know something specified
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They went on vacation, safe in the knowledge that the farm would be well cared for while they were away.
to someone’s knowledge
:
according to what someone knows
— usually used in negative statements
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“Did anyone arrive late?” “Not to my knowledge.”
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No one arrived late to my knowledge. [=I am not aware that anyone arrived late, but it is possible that someone arrived late and I don’t know about it]
to the best of my knowledge
— used to say that you think a statement is true but that there may be something you do not know which makes it untrue
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To the best of my knowledge [=as far as I know], everyone arrived on time.
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I answered their questions to the best of my knowledge. [=I gave the best answers I could based on what I knew, but I might have answered differently if I had known something else]
1
a(1)
: the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
(2)
: acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique
b(1)
: the fact or condition of being aware of something
(2)
: the range of one’s information or understanding
answered to the best of my knowledge
d
: the fact or condition of having information or of being learned
a person of unusual knowledge
2
a
: the sum of what is known : the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by humankind
b
archaic
: a branch of learning
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for knowledge
rich in the knowledge of human nature
learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.
a book that demonstrates vast learning
erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.
an erudition unusual even in a scholar
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
At that time the word science had not been narrowed down to one kind of knowledge; it meant whatever was known, and men of learning were still able to possess most of it.
—Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence, 2000
With their aid, he should be able to adapt himself selectively to his culture, rejecting its evils, stupidities and irrelevances, gratefully accepting all its treasures of accumulated knowledge … and practical wisdom.
—Aldous Huxley, «Culture and the … ,»
in Artificial Paradises, Mike Jay editor, 1999
The knowledge of the godawful way people act (their greed, their vicarious or direct violence), and of the youth and helplessness of those who died, leads to shame …
—Harold Brodkey, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 1995
She has little knowledge of fashion.
He has devoted himself to the pursuit of knowledge.
She gained a thorough knowledge of local customs.
Did you have any knowledge of her intentions?
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Following Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 330 B.C.E., the two cultures traded their knowledge of the stars, with the Greeks introducing the concept of zodiac signs and the Egyptians discussing the seasonal movement of the sun and the patterns that make up constellations.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023
That knowledge helped him up his skills and grow his audience.
—Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2023
One former public school teacher issued a warning to parents nationwide on how educators are indoctrinating children on controversial issues like transgenderism — all without their knowledge and consent.
—Bailee Hill, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2023
Understanding how water is stored on the moon is useful: That knowledge could point future lunar astronauts toward potential resources that might one day be converted to drinking water or even rocket fuel.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
The residents at Brookdale Senior Living have a wealth of wisdom, but there are some gaps in that knowledge.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2023
This is a sovereign and solemn requirement of all states to inform their own people of what is going on in their country, to the best of their knowledge.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Mar. 2023
Learning from other industry professionals and gaining their knowledge and experience can be invaluable.
—Sonia Singh, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2023
And paleontology plays an important part in producing that knowledge.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘knowledge.’ 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
Middle English knowlege, from knowlechen to acknowledge, irregular from knowen
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Time Traveler
The first known use of knowledge was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near knowledge
Cite this Entry
“Knowledge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knowledge. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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noun
acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things.
familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning: A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report: a knowledge of human nature.
the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
awareness, as of a fact or circumstance: He had knowledge of her good fortune.
something that is or may be known; information: He sought knowledge of her activities.
the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
the sum of what is known: Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
adjective
creating, involving, using, or disseminating special knowledge or information: A computer expert can always find a good job in the knowledge industry.
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Idioms about knowledge
to one’s knowledge, according to the information available to one: To my knowledge he hasn’t been here before.
Origin of knowledge
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English knouleche, equivalent to know(en) “to know” + -leche, perhaps akin to Old English -lāc suffix denoting action or practice, cognate with Old Norse (-)leikr; see know1; cf. wedlock
synonym study for knowledge
historical usage of knowledge
Know, the first half of knowledge, is a no-brainer, so to speak. Know comes from the Proto-Indo-European root gnō-, gnē- gen-, gṇ- “to know, recognize.” The variant gnō- appears in Latin (g)nōscere “to know, come to know” (the -sc- is an inchoative or inceptive infix indicating the beginning of an action). Greek gignṓskein shows the same variant gnō- as Latin, preceded by present-tense reduplication, which in Greek is the first consonant of the root followed by i; gnō- is followed by the same inceptive infix -sk-. The Germanic forms of the root are knā-, knē-, kun-. The variant knē- forms the verb knēwan, Old English cnāwan, English know. The variant kun- forms the Old English verb cunnan “to be or become acquainted with, to know” (the English auxiliary verb can ) as well as the adjective and noun cunning.
The real problem is the second element, -ledge. There are many, many Middle English spelling variants of knowledge, including knoulecch(e), knouelech(e), cnoulech, knowlesche, knoleche, and later spellings, including knoulegge, knoleg(e), knoleige, knowlegege, knaulag(e), cnaulage. The earlier spellings indicate a pronunciation with the same ch sound as in leech or letch; the later spellings, for example, knaulage, originating in the northern dialects and implying a pronunciation with a soft g (as in gem ), appear in the 15th century.
The Middle English element -lech(e) is a very rare noun suffix from unrecorded Old English -lǽce, a variant of -lāc, a noun suffix indicating action or proceeding. The original suffix survives only in the noun wedlock (Old English wedlāc “pledge, security, espousals,” Middle English wedlōk “institution of marriage, the married state”), proving, once and for all, that wedlock is not related to the word lock.
OTHER WORDS FROM knowledge
know·ledge·less, adjectivepre·knowl·edge, nounsu·per·knowl·edge, noun
Words nearby knowledge
know from Adam, know-how, know if one is coming or going, knowing, know-it-all, knowledge, knowledgeable, knowledge-based system, knowledge economy, knowledge engineering, Knowledge is power
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to knowledge
ability, awareness, education, expertise, familiarity, grasp, insight, intelligence, judgment, know-how, learning, observation, philosophy, power, proficiency, recognition, science, theory, wisdom, accomplishments
How to use knowledge in a sentence
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Gelinas is a senior IT group manager, holding the rank of director, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
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We have evolution to thank for shielding us from complete self-knowledge.
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To complement Wikipedia’s systems, we’ve added additional protections and detection systems to prevent potentially inaccurate information from appearing in knowledge panels.
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At the very least, children learn language through a rather different process, mapping words to concepts that embed knowledge acquired not only through reading text, but also crucially through perceiving and exploring the world.
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It would be nice not to have to go to these lengths to explain our moral knowledge.
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The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents.
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My trip takes the reverse path, and I begin by assessing the depth of my Shakespeare knowledge in his birthplace.
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Be reliable supports of the Songun revolution possessed of a lofty spirit and rich knowledge!
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“To my knowledge, there was no formal consultation done with the tribes on this policy,” says Eid.
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In his 2010 evaluation, Wright was praised for “excellent knowledge of RRC rules, regulations and policies.”
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His also was the intellectual point of view, and the intellectual interest in knowledge and its deductions.
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But it seems to me that with adolescence comes the right to knowledge and the right of judgment.
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Without the former quality, knowledge of the past is uninstructive; without the latter, it is deceptive.
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To be so humbled in the knowledge of any living being, was the vultures of Prometheus to the proud heart of Ripperda.
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All that has been given concerning the knowledge of angels relates to what they know through their own natures as created.
British Dictionary definitions for knowledge
noun
the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people
the state of knowing
awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning
erudition or informed learning
specific information about a subject
sexual intercourse (obsolete except in the legal phrase carnal knowledge)
come to one’s knowledge to become known to one
to my knowledge
- as I understand it
- as I know
grow out of one’s knowledge Irish to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with knowledge
see little knowledge is a dangerous thing; to the best of (one’s knowledge).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.