know of

verb

To be aware of the existence of someone or something, but to have little or no other knowledge beyond that point.

“I do not know Jane Smith but I know of her.”

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Meanings

verbknow of (third-person singular simple present knows of, present participle knowing of, simple past knew of, past participle known of)

present singular third person knows of · participle present knowing of · past knew of · participle past known of

  1. transitiveTo be aware of the existence of someone or something, but to have little or no other knowledge beyond that point.
  2. transitiveTo know about a specific individual by reputation without having met them.

    I do not know Jane Smith but I know of her.

Translations

Arabic عَلِمَ بِـ
  • عَلِمَ بِـ (ʕalima bi-)To be aware of (someone's or something's) existence
Swedish känna till
  • känna tillTo be aware of (someone's or something's) existence
Cite this entry
APA

know of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20of

MLA

“know of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20of. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “know of,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20of.

Source: know of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.