knowledge work

noun

Work that depends on the knowledge and thinking skills of the practitioner, such as medicine, programming, design, architecture, accounting, law, etc.

Meanings

nounknowledge work (uncountable)
  1. uncountableWork that depends on the knowledge and thinking skills of the practitioner, such as medicine, programming, design, architecture, accounting, law, etc.

Origin

Coined by Peter Drucker in 1959.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: knowledge work on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.