knowledgeable

knowledgeable — adjective

1. having a lot of information or deep understanding about a particular subject, us

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a lot of information or deep understanding about a particular subject, usually because you have studied it, experienced it, or paid close attention to it for a long time

Example

Otis is very knowledgeable about vintage cars and can name every model from the 1960s.

collocation: knowledgeable about [topic]

The tour guide gave a knowledgeable explanation of the temple's history and architecture.

collocation: knowledgeable explanation / knowledgeable guide

Common collocations
  • knowledgeable about
  • very knowledgeable
  • extremely knowledgeable
  • highly knowledgeable
  • remarkably knowledgeable
  • knowledgeable guide
  • knowledgeable source
  • knowledgeable person
Synonyms
  • well-informed

    more specific to current or broad-ranging awareness; a well-informed person keeps up with news and developments

  • expert

    stronger, implies professional or near-professional depth; an expert can teach or certify others

  • informed

    weaker, only means having been given the facts rather than having acquired them through personal effort

  • educated

    broader, suggests formal schooling and general learning rather than topic-specific depth

Antonyms
  • ignorant

    much stronger, suggests a complete lack of knowledge about something

  • uninformed

    weaker, simply lacking the relevant information, often temporarily

Grammar Patterns

be + knowledgeable + about + noun phrase

a + knowledgeable + noun

Usage Note

Commonly followed by 'about' to specify the area of knowledge. Can appear before a noun (a knowledgeable guide) or after a linking verb (she is knowledgeable). The noun form 'knowledge' is more basic (B1) and can often be used instead in simpler sentences.

Common Mistakes

She is very intelligent about classical music.
She is very knowledgeable about classical music.
'intelligent' means having mental sharpness in general; 'knowledgeable' means having specific information on a topic.
He is knowledgeable of the company's policies.
He is knowledgeable about the company's policies.
'knowledgeable' takes the preposition 'about', not 'of'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words relate to having knowledge, but they differ in depth, scope, and how the knowledge was gained. Knowledgeable is the most general term — it describes someone who has gathered a lot of information about a topic through study, experience, or long-term interest. Well-informed focuses on having up-to-date awareness, often about current events or a broad range of subjects; a well-informed person follows the news closely. Expert is much stronger and implies professional-level depth — an expert can teach, judge, or produce original work in their field. Informed is the weakest of the group; it simply means someone has been given the facts rather than having acquired them independently. Educated suggests a foundation of formal schooling and general learning rather than topic-specific depth. For example, a gardener may be very knowledgeable about growing vegetables without being an expert botanist, while a journalist should be well-informed about politics even if not formally educated in political science.

knowledgeable ↗well-informed ↗expert ↗informededucated ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • knowledgeable on the subject of

Prepositions

Etymology

Old English (cnāwan)Middle English (knowen → knouleche)English (knowledge + -able)

Formed in early 19th-century English by adding the suffix '-able' (meaning 'having the quality of') to the noun 'knowledge'. The noun 'knowledge' itself developed in Middle English from the verb 'knowen' (to know), which came from Old English 'cnāwan' (to know, recognise), combined with the abstract-noun suffix '-leche' or '-lǣc'.