knowledge

Something that is (or is believed to be) generally or widely accepted as true, whether or not it has been verified or officially recognized. It's common knowledge that corporate interests play a major role in directing politicians and the laws they create. A healthy diet and regular exercise are the best defense against disease—common knowledge at this point.

Said of that which one knows or understands. A: "Is Janet coming in today?" B: "Not to my knowledge." To my knowledge, Jack is working a different shift these days. But Jill makes the schedule, so she would know for sure.

to the limits of anyone's knowledge. (The anyone can be replaced with a more specific noun or pronoun.) As far as anyone knows, this is the last of the great herds of buffalo. Far as I know, this is the best spot to sit. Q: Are the trains on time? A: To the best of my knowledge, all the trains are on time today.

Euph. to have had sex with someone. (Formal or jocular.) She had never before had carnal knowledge of a man.

Prov. The more you know, the more you can control. Child: How come I have to study history? I don't care what all those dead people did hundreds of years ago. Mother: Knowledge is power. If you know something about the past, it may help you to anticipate the future.

Prov. Cliché If you only know a little about something, you may feel you are qualified to make judgments when, in fact, you are not. After Bill read one book on the history of Venezuela, he felt he was an authority on the subject, but he wound up looking like a fool in discussions with people who knew a lot more about it than he did. A little learning is a dangerous thing.

Also, a little learning is a dangerous thing. Knowing a little about something tempts one to overestimate one's abilities. For example, I know you've assembled furniture, but that doesn't mean you can build an entire wall system; remember, a little knowledge . This maxim, originally a line from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1709), has been repeated with slight variations ever since. It is still heard, although less frequently, and sometimes shortened, as in the example.