Meanings
present singular third person acknows · participle present acknowing · past acknew · participle past acknown
- obsoletetransitiveTo recognize.
You will not be acknown, sir; why, 'tis wise. Thus do all gamesters, at all games, dissemble: No man will seem to win.
1606, Ben Jonson, Volpone, act 5, scene 4 - obsoletetransitiveTo acknowledge; confess (often with "of" or "on"), reveal, disclose, realize
We say of a stubborn body that standeth still in the denying of his fault, This man will not acknowledge his fault, or, He will not be acknown of his fault.
1532, Sir Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer1 more example
Three years in his employment a secret agent in the Post Office Department, who obtained for him the first knowledge of the star route frauds, and placed it at his disposal before it Acknown to be suspected by either the public or the Government.
1883 June 4, “Imprudent Mr. Hendricks”, in New York Times (Features), New York
Origin
- Old Englishācnāwan
- Middle Englishaknowen
- Englishacknow
From Middle English aknowen, from Old English ācnāwan, oncnāwan (“to know, recognize”), equivalent to a- + know.
More words from Middle English, Old English
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Rhymes with acknow
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Cite this entry
acknow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknow
“acknow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknow. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acknow,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknow.
Source: acknow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.